Welcome to the South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Head and Neck Cancer Information Portal. We are a team of doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, admin, and managerial staff all dedicated to looking after you from diagnosis, through to treatment and long term after-care after treatment for head and neck cancer.

We are based on five different sites: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, Sheffield, and Chesterfield. We aim to provide the same high quality service across all sites. Clinic appointments and outpatient or daycase procedures including endoscopy and biopsy are carried out on all sites. Most treatment is carried out in Sheffield at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital (surgery) and Weston Park Hospital (radiotherapy and chemotherapy). 

We know that head and neck cancer and its treatment, can have an impact on both your physical health and mental health, and we are here to support you at all times on your journey with us. We aim to provide excellence in head and neck cancer care and research. Your satisfaction is as important to us as providing cutting edge technologies and treatments.

We hope you find information on this portal useful.

Your Head and Neck Cancer Team

Your support and treatment for head and neck cancer is made up of various team members each with their own specialist role:

Cancer Nurse Specialists: Also known as your key worker. They play a key role in supporting you and your family through your cancer journey and beyond. They provide a vital link between patients and families with medical teams involved in the cancer patient pathway.

ENT Surgeons: Surgeons that specialise in diagnosing, evaluating and treating cancers of the head and neck including ear, nose and throat region.

OMFS Surgeons: Surgeons that specialise in diagnosing, evaluating and treating cancers of the head and neck including mouth, jaws, face and neck

Clinical Oncologists: Physicians that specialise in management of head and neck cancer treatments including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted treatments and immunotherapy. They are based at Weston Park cancer centre and would also provide you information about research and clinical trials for head and neck cancer patients.

Head and Neck Cancer Dietitians: They will support you with your diet at each stage of the treatment, helping to ensure your diet remains as balanced as possible.

Speech and Language Therapists: They support you with your speech and swallowing throughout your journey starting from a pre-assessment before your treatment to voice rehabilitation after treatment.

Head and Neck Cancer Specialist Radiographer: They are based at Weston park hospital and provide support for patients undergoing radiotherapy for head and neck cancers.

Radiologists: Radiologists are doctors that specialise in undertaking scans, using them to obtain tissue samples to diagnose cancer and work out its extent.​

Histopathology: This is the diagnosis of cancer through detailed analysis of the biopsy or cancer tissues which are removed during an operation, and involves examining tissues and/or cells under a microscope. Histopathologists are responsible for making tissue diagnoses and helping clinicians manage understand the treatments required for a patients cancer care.

Restorative dentists: are core members of the multidisciplinary team treating head and neck cancer patients, they are involved from the treatment planning phase through to long-term rehabilitation to ensure patients pre treatment dental care is optimised and reconstruction work post treatment is planned for.

Your Cancer Journey

Your journey usually starts after a referral to the team with a suspicion of cancer in the head and neck region. Your first appointment with the doctor involves obtaining a history of your symptoms and general health along with examination. This can sometimes include a procedure called nasendoscopy (this is a test where a trained member of the team will use a flexible tube with a camera at the end to look at the back of your mouth, nose, pharynx and larynx. It is normally passed down the nose to the area at the back of the mouth). Further tests (biopsy and scans to obtain detailed information about the cancer) are arranged following that appointment.

Once all results are available, these are reviewed in the Sheffield Head and Neck cancer MDT (multi-disciplinary team meeting) where treatments are recommended by the multi-disciplinary team. Your next appointment would be with the team including a surgeon, oncologist, CNS (cancer nurse specialist), Dietitian, and Speech and Language Therapist who will explain and guide you through the treatments.

Chemotherapy and Other Systemic Treatments information

Consent for radiotherapy to the larynx for early laryngeal Cancer: This is given out at the initial treatment discussion by a consultant clinical oncologist.

Consent for radiotherapy to the head and neck area: This is given out at initial treatment discussion by consultant clinical oncologist

What to expect when you have head and neck radiotherapy

Radiotherapy – End of treatment Patient Information

Intravenous anti-cancer treatment Information

Cetuximab (Erbitux®) Information (Macmillan)

Cisplatin Information (Macmillan)

Cisplatin and 5FU information (Macmillan)

Nivolumab (Opdivo®) Informatiom (Macmillan)

Docetaxel, cisplatin and fluorouracil (TPF) Information (CRUK)


Swallowing Exercises

The following video from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust is to be used by patients when prescribed as a package of care by your speech and language therapist (SLT). Only perform the exercises as told by your therapist. Please contact your SLT if any of the exercises are causing you pain or if you experience any of the symptons described in the video's disclaimer.

              

Contact Information

Weston Park Cancer Centre Radiotherapy Contacts:
Information and Support Radiographers: 0114226 5282
Head and Neck Specialist Radiographer: 01142265024

Clinical Specialist Nurse Team Contacts:
Barnsley: 01226 431321
Chesterfield: 01246 277271 
Doncaster: 01302 381331
Rotherham: 01709424205
Sheffield: 01142711587

Rotherham Speech and Language Therapy Contact:
Email: trftadultslt.mailbox@nhs.net
Phone: 01709 427015