Facial Nerve Cancer and Parotid Tumor Surgery What You Need to Know

Facial nerve cancer is rare, with 500 US incidences annually. Your life pauses if you or a loved one gets that diagnosis. A difficult surgery on fragile nerves that control facial expression and blinking is imminent. The stakes are high. Facial nerve cancers, biopsy and removal of the facial nerve and parotidectomyof gland tumors, post-surgery recovery, and rehabilitation are covered in this article.

Available Treatment Options

Fortunately, facial nerve tumors and parotid tumors have many therapy choices. Based on your situation, your doctor will decide how to proceed.

Surgery

The most common treatment is parotid tumor surgery. Depending on size and location, your surgeon may remove part or all of the parotid gland. The tumor will be removed while preserving facial nerve function. For movement, facial nerve grafting or reanimation may be recommended.

Radiation Therapy

High-energy radiation kills cancer cells. It can reduce the tumor before surgery or kill cancer cells after that. When treating parotid tumors and facial nerve cancer, intensity-modulated radiation treatment (IMRT) is used to focus high doses of radiation on the tumor while sparing healthy tissue.

Chemotherapy

Drugs used in chemotherapy kill cancer cells. To treat parotid and facial nerve cancer, chemotherapy is usually administered after the tumor has spread or returned. The medications can be taken orally as pills or intravenously. Radiation therapy can be used with chemotherapy.

Targeted Drug Treatment

Targeted therapy medications may treat parotid and facial nerve malignancies. These medications stop cancer cell proliferation by targeting their weaknesses. They cause fewer adverse effects than chemotherapy. Combining chemotherapy and targeted therapy is common.