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ASTRO has created a series of videos to help patients better understand what to expect when receiving radiation therapy for cancer.

The American Cancer Society estimates that in the United States, approximately 3-5 percent of all cancers will be in the head and neck region. In 2018, an estimated 64,690 people (47,650 men and 17,040 women) will develop head and neck cancer. It is estimated that 13,740 deaths (10,250 men and 3,940 women) will occur this year. These tumors can begin anywhere in the head and neck region. Treatment options are based on where a head and neck cancer starts (e.g. tongue vs. throat) because each tumor site responds to treatment type in different ways. The main two forms of treatment that can cure head and neck cancers are either radiation therapy or surgery. Sometimes, chemotherapy and/or targeted systemic therapy will be used together with radiation therapy to improve the chance that the cancer will not come back or spread to other parts of the body.

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