Meeting the Challenges of Oral and Head and Neck Cancer

Nancy E. Leupold is the President and Founder of Support for People with Oral and Head and Neck Cancer, Inc. (SPOHNC), a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness and meeting the needs of oral and head and neck cancer patients, their families, and friends. An oral cancer survivor herself, Leupold experienced many of the same difficulties as other oral and head and neck cancer patients and looked for a self-help group where she could find support and information. However, no such group existed. Consequently, with the encouragement of her surgeon, Dr. David Wolk and his colleague, Dr. James J. Sciubba, she founded SPOHNC. Now more than seventeen years later, SPOHNC has more than sixty-five chapters throughout the United States offering information, support, and encouragement to oral and head and neck cancer patients. Dr. Sciubba has served as a full Professor in the Departments of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Pathology and Dermatology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He has over thirty-five years of experience with oral and head and neck cancer patients as a clinician and has published extensively in the areas of oral cancer, oral and salivary gland diseases, and jawbone pathology. He is currently in part-time private practice in Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology in the Baltimore community and is an active consultant at the Milton J. Dance Head and Neck Cancer Center located at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center, where a very active program exists in the comprehensive management and rehabilitation of oral and head and neck cancer patients. Dr. Sciubba is presently Vice President of Support for People with Oral and Head and Neck Cancer (SPOHNC) and was instrumental in the founding of this organization in 1991.

Contents: Foreword Preface Acknowledgements Contributors 1. Introduction to the Challenges of Oral and Head and Neck Cancer David Myssiorek 2. Meeting the Challenges of the Human Papillomavirus and Oropharyngeal Carcinoma Patrick K. Ha 3. Meeting the Challenges of Treatment Planning and Surgery for Cancer of the Head and Neck Eugene N. Myers 4. Meeting the Challenges of Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS) Gregory S. Weinstein and Bert W. O'Malley, Jr. 5. Meeting the Challenges of Radiation Therapy David S. Yoo, Mary Ann Downey Rubio, Gail Funk, Brandey Terruso, Linda Gilliard, and David M. Brizel 6. Meeting the Challenges of Chemotherapy in the Treatment of Oral and Head and Neck Cancer Su Hsien Lim, Shrujal Baxi, Matthew Fury, and David G. Pfister 7. Meeting the Challenges of Good Oral Care in the Management of Head and Neck Cancer James J. Sciubba 8. Meeting the Challenges of Targeted Therapy and Skin Care Mario E. Lacouture 9. Meeting the Challenges of Pain in the Head and Neck Cancer Patient Population: Causes and Effects Barbara A. Murphy 10. Meeting the Challenges of Quality of Life Dorothy Gold 11. Meeting the Challenges of Psychological Effects of Head and Neck Cancer Sandy Cavell and Randall Morton 12. Meeting the Challenges of Communication and Swallowing Disorders After Treatment for Head and Neck Cancer Bonnie Martin-Harros, Julie Blair, and Kendrea L. Focht 13. Meeting the Challenges of Good Nutrition Jennifer Thompson 14. Meeting the Challenges of Insurance Issues a. Health Insurance in the United States Beth Patterson, Pat Jolley, Erin Moaratty, Tammy Neice, Elaine Martinez, and Tanya Walker b. Medically Necessary Dental Care Mary Kaye Richter and Malinda Heuring 15. Meeting the Challenges of Clinical Trials a. Meeting the Challenges of Clinical Trials Nancy E. Leupold b. Finding a Clinical Trial to Meet Your Specific Needs Patty Delaney and Deborah J. Miller 16. Products, Therapies, and Survivor Input: Resources for Coping with the Challenges of Side Effects of Treatment Nancy E. Leupold Appendix: Programs of outreach and support, literature, web sites and organizations Index