Getting Ahead of a Cancer Diagnosis
- 72-year-old man Michael Checchi from New Jersey was having difficulty swallowing, and thankfully got right in to see an ear, nose and throat doctor. It wound up being throat cancer.
- Due to the sensitive area of Michael’s cancer, he went and saw a specialist who handles robotic head and neck surgery, which provides deep and narrow access to the tissue, therefore minimizing scarring. Healing is also much faster and less intense.
- Most head and neck cancers like throat cancer are cause by human papillomavirus, or HPV, which is a very common sexually transmitted virus affecting both men and women.
"I couldn't even swallow my daily pills in the morning," says Michael Checchi of his 2021 diagnosis. "The doctor found that I had a growth on my tonsils that turned out to be cancerous."
Read MoreThe Benefits of Robotic Surgery
After Micheal's diagnosis, he came to the John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center and met with cancer care experts, including Chan Park, M.D., an ear, nose and throat physician who specializes in robotic head and neck surgery. Michael did not want radiation, and so Dr. Chan Park performed a tonsillectomy using what is called the da Vinci SP single port, which provides deep and narrow access to the tissue. This type of specialized surgery minimizes scarring that can often be severe with traditional surgery. Healing is also much faster and less intense.
Related: There's No Yelp for Robotic Surgery, So How Do You Choose the Right Surgeon?
"With the robotic system, we don't need to make any external incisions to remove tumors inside the mouth and throat," Dr. Park said. "The small surgical instruments on the single-port robotic surgical system come out of a single cannula that is inserted into the mouth. They can easily reach the back of the tongue and throat, where the human hand can't fit."
Following Michael’s September 2001 surgery, he was able to speak within a half hour or so, and able to drink liquids that night. Getting stronger and stronger, he quickly bounced back to eating regular meals, which includes going to his favorite diner.
Now, Michael is cancer-free and back to enjoying life, savoring local cuisine while traveling and sailing on cruises! All because he chose to be proactive about his health.
Learning More About Head and Neck Cancers
Head and neck cancers generally form as squamous cell carcinomas inside the mouth, throat, and voice box), but can also start in the muscles or nerves in the head and neck, along with the salivary glands and sinuses, though these are less common.
As far as what causes head and neck cancers, the National Cancer Institute lists the following:
- Alcohol and tobacco use, which includes secondhand smoke
- Human papillomavirus, or HPV, which is a highly common sexually transmitted virus responsible for many types of cancers, and specifically causes three quarters of oropharyngeal cancers, which are cancers in the back of the throat, including the tonsils and base of the tongue
Why the HPV Vaccine is so Important in Preventing Cancer
80 million Americans have HPV, or the human papillomavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and for most people it won't cause any problems. HPV affects both men and women and in a small percentage it can lead to cancer most commonly of the cervix and head and neck. The HPV vaccine is recommended to protect against these cancers.
Related: Majority of Throat Cancer Diagnoses Are Caused by HPV Here's What You Need to Know
"The key with the vaccine is that you receive it before you have sexual encounters," says Dr. Jessica Geiger, a medical oncologist at Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center, to SurvivorNet. "So that's why these vaccines are approved for young children … ages 9, 10, 11 years old, up to age 26."
Along with HPV and alcohol/tobacco use, people can get these types of cancers from:
- Occupational exposure to wood dust, asbestos, and synthetic fibers
- Radiation exposure to the head and neck
- Epstein-Barr virus infection, which is a member of the herpes viruses
- Ancestry. Asian ancestry, particularly Chinese ancestry, is a risk factor
- Underlying genetic disorders
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.