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67037 Squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck

definition

Squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (SCCHN) is a highly malignant neoplasm that can occur on the lip, oral cavity, nasal cavity, pharynx, larynx and paranasal sinuses and that accounts for 90% of all head and neck cancers, occurring most frequently in adults between the ages of 40-60. SCCHN presents with a variety of manifestations, depending on the primary site, such as voice hoarsness, dysphagia, ulceration of oral mucosa, hearing loss, epistaxis, nasal obstruction and enlargement of a cervical lymph node (neck secondaries) and is often associated with extensive invasion into surrounding tissues and a rapid metastasis to distant organs.