Treating Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancer

How are oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers treated?

After oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer is found and staged, your cancer care team will discuss treatment options with you. Depending on the stage of the cancer, your overall health, and other factors, your treatment options may include:

Nutrition and supportive care

Keeping healthy through nutrition is important if you have oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer. Both the cancer and its treatment can make it hard to swallow, eat, or drink. If this is the case, you may need a feeding tube. This tube will most likely be kept in place during treatment, but sometimes it might need to be left in longer.

Learn more about feeding tubes in Surgery for Oral and Oropharyngeal Cancer.

Supportive care (also called palliative care) can help you ease your physical symptoms and cope with the feelings and changes in your life. Anyone diagnosed with a serious illness like cancer may benefit from supportive or palliative care. It can be given at any age and at any stage of the illness, anytime you need extra support or have symptoms that need to be controlled. Learn more in Palliative Care.

Other things to consider

Quitting smoking: If you smoke, it is very important to try to quit before any treatment for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer. Smoking can affect your treatment, leading to issues such as a worse response to radiation therapy, poor wound healing after surgery, and less tolerance of chemotherapy. Smoking after treatment can also increase the chance of getting another new cancer. The best way to improve your chance of survival is to quit smoking for good, before treatment starts if possible. It is never too late to quit. For help, see How To Quit Using Tobacco.

Seeking a second opinion: If time allows, consider getting a second opinion. This can give you more information and help you feel more confident about the treatment plan you choose.

Clinical trials: Clinical trials study new treatments and may offer access to promising options not widely available. They are also how doctors learn better ways to treat cancer. Ask your doctor about clinical trials you may qualify for.

Integrative (holistic) and alternative methods: You may hear about herbs, diets, acupuncture, massage, or other ways to relieve your symptoms or treat your cancer. Integrative therapies are used with standard care, while alternative ones replace it. Some of these may help with symptoms, but many aren’t proven to work and could even be harmful. Talk with your care team first to make sure they’re safe and won’t interfere with treatment.

Choosing to stop treatment or choosing no treatment at all

When treatments have been tried and are no longer controlling your cancer, it could be time to weigh the benefits and risks of continuing to try new treatments. Whether or not you continue treatment, there are still things you can do to help maintain or improve your quality of life.

Choosing not to treat your cancer

Some people might not want to be treated at all, especially if the cancer is advanced. There are many reasons you might decide not to get treatment, but it’s important to talk to your cancer care team as you make that decision. Remember that even if you choose not to treat your cancer, you can still get supportive care to help with pain or other symptoms.

Hospice care

People with advanced cancer who are expected to live less than 6 months may want to consider hospice care. Hospice care is designed to provide the best possible quality of life for people near the end of life.

You and your family are encouraged to talk with your cancer care team about hospice care options, which include hospice care at home, a special hospice center, or other health care locations.

Nursing care and special equipment can make staying at home a workable option for many families.

The treatment information given here is not official policy of the American Cancer Society and is not intended as medical advice to replace the expertise and judgment of your cancer care team. It is intended to help you and your family make informed decisions, together with your doctor. Your doctor  might have reasons for suggesting a treatment plan different from these general treatment options. Don't hesitate to ask your cancer care team any questions you  might have about your treatment options.