頭頸癌 Head and Neck Cancer

認識頭頸癌

頭頸癌泛指多種頸部至頭部的癌症,
但不包括腦癌、眼癌、食道癌、甲狀腺癌
及始於頸部至頭部的皮膚癌。1

頭頸癌是甚麼?


頭頸癌種類
頭頸癌通常會始於頭部和頸部黏膜表面的鱗狀細胞 (皮膚、呼吸道),統稱為頭頸鱗狀細胞癌。1

頭頸癌的成因
頭頸癌的主要風險因素為吸煙和酗酒。5,6
另外,感染人類乳頭瘤病毒(HPV)也會增加患頭頸癌的風險。7, 8
以下為頭頸癌的一些風險因素:

吸煙和酗酒5, 6

HPV感染

家族病史10

頭頸癌統計數字
在香港,較常見的頭頸癌是鼻咽癌。2 醫院管理局香港癌症資料統計中心數據顯示,2021年的非鼻咽癌(包括唇、口腔及咽癌)登記個案為812宗,鼻咽癌個案則為772宗。3 當中,男性鼻咽癌的發病率較高,大約為女性的2.6倍,在所有癌症中排行第九。男性及女性患者的年齡中位數分別為58及55.5歲。4
*2021年共有558名男性確診頭頸癌,另有214名女性確診頭頸癌4

頭頸癌症狀
根據腫瘤的位置,頭頸癌會引致不同症狀。1, 18
其他病症也有機會導致上述情況。所以一旦出現以上不適,應盡早告訴醫生並進行檢查。1

頭頸癌分期
癌症分期有助制訂治療及預期效果。頭頸癌一般採用 American Joint Commission on Cancer(AJCC)及Union for International Cancer Control (UICC)的TNM系統進行分期。20, 21

腫瘤(T)
腫瘤的大小及影響範圍

淋巴結(N)
腫瘤是否擴散至附近的淋巴結

轉移(M)
癌症是否已擴散到其他身體部位
由於HPV陽性頭頸癌的預期效果有別於HPV陰性個案,因此AJCC在2018年就頭頸癌分期作出調整,部分頭頸癌如口咽癌,會根據HPV檢測結果採取不同的分期方式。20-23

診斷及生物標記檢測


頭頸癌治療方案

頭頸癌的治療因人而異,具體方案取決於多種因素,包括病人健康狀況、癌症期數及個人意願等等。26, 27
整體而言,第一及二期的早期頭頸癌通常可採用手術或放射治療作根治性治療,兩者可提供相若的治療成效。至於第三及四期較晚期的頭頸癌則可能需要使用多於一種的治療手段。26
以下是一些例子:

不同位置及分期的頭頸癌所需的治療方案未必一樣。患者可能需要多個專科醫生(包括耳鼻喉科、腫瘤科等),跨專科合作評估患者的身體狀況、本身的意願和考量、可能副作用、腫瘤的種類、部位、大小及擴散的程度等等,建議能夠配合患者需要的方案。5
現在問,發現更多可能!向醫生了解不同療法的優點和可能副作用,一起制定最適合的治療方案。
常見問題


癌症的成因十分複雜,但以下方法有助減低患上頭頸癌的機會18:
- 拒絕吸煙或立即戒煙
- 不要酗酒

目前未有足夠證據顯示篩查可以幫助及早發現頭頸癌33,但定期接受牙科檢查或有助早些察覺異常。18 任何人如懷疑自己患上頭頸癌都應立即求醫接受全面檢查和評估。

跨專科治療,指由二個或以上專科醫生/醫護人員組成的醫療團隊與患者商討後一同決定的治療方案,以確保患者能獲得優質的治療。34
研究顯示,由多專科組成的跨專科治療,有助改善頭頸癌患者的存活期及生活質素。35
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