Head and Neck Cancer Center

Samsung’s Head and Neck Cancer Center works in conjunction with the departments of Head and Neck-Thyroid Surgery, Hemato-Oncology and Radiation Oncology. Depending on the location and scope of surgery, faculty members from the departments of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Thoracic Surgery, Surgery and Ophthalmology may also participate in the treatment of patients suffering from head and neck cancer. In addition, the Radiology, Pathology and Nuclear Medicine Departments assist with diagnosis evaluation and prosthetic dentistry, deglutition and speech therapy, anesthesia and pain medicine, rehabilitation medicine, and nutrition. In addition, nurses specialized in head and neck cooperate closely with or center to enhance patients’ quality of life.

Major areas of treatment

Specialties: intraoral cancer, salivary gland cancer, pharyngeal cancer, laryngeal cancer, thyroid cancer, nasal cavity cancer, paranasal sinus cancer, neck cancer, brain base cancer, sarcomas, melanomas, and skin cancer.

Strengths

As a world-class hospital for the surgical treatment of head and neck cancer, we have a track record of exceptional healthcare outcomes:

  • Face-to-face multidisciplinary treatment: Head and neck cancer patients with difficulties in therapeutic decision making
  • Molecular targeted therapy, gamma knife, proton therapy
  • We perform minimally invasive surgeries such as robot surgery, endoscopy, and laser surgery.
  • Advanced and internationalized global standard clinical trial system

Diagnostic methods

    As a world-class hospital for the surgical treatment of head and neck cancer, we have a track record of exceptional healthcare outcomes:

  • Physical exmination and history taking
  • Biopsy
  • Ultrasonography
  • Computed tomography (CT)
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
  • Positron emission tomography-CT (PET-CT)
  • Bone scan
  • Molecular analysis
  • Genes and tumor markers

Latest treatment methods

Diagnostic methods
Surgery
  • Minimally invasive surgery using laser, endoscopy, and robotic equipment
  • Partial excision to optimize preservation of function and quality of life
  • Concomitant reconstructive plastic surgery using free flaps
  • Precise excision and reconstruction using 3D printing technology
  • Treatment of lymphatic metastases through sentinel lymph node biopsy and excision
Radiotherapy
  • 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy
  • Intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT, tomotherapy)
  • Brachytherapy, total body irradiation
  • Proton therapy
Chemotherapy and targeted therapy
  • Up-to-date chemotherapy
  • Up-to-date targeted therapy
  • Multinational clinical trial therapy using various drugs

Recent trends in clinical research

The Head and Neck Cancer Center is playing a leading role in multi-institutional domestic and international clinical studies. The following is a list of recent studies conducted by our staff and faculty:

The following is a list of recent studies conducted by our staff and faculty:

  • Research on the mechanisms of lymphatic metastases in intraoral cancer and its treatment methods
  • Molecular genetic studies on salivary cancers
  • Research on dendritic cell and NK cell immunotherapy for early metastatic cancer
  • Molecular genetic research on lymphatic and whole body metastases of thyroid cancer