Head and neck cancers
Chemotherapy for head and neck cancers
Learn about chemotherapy treatment for head and neck cancer, when it is used and its side effects.
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Sources and references What's on this page
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill or slow the growth of cancer cells. The aim is to destroy cancer cells while causing the least possible damage to healthy cells. You will usually receive chemotherapy by injection into a vein (intravenously), although it is occasionally given as tablets. How often you have chemotherapy sessions will depend on the treatment plan.
Chemotherapy may be given for a range of reasons:
- in combination with radiation therapy (chemoradiation), to increase the effects of radiation
- before surgery or radiation therapy (neoadjuvant chemotherapy), to shrink a tumour
- after surgery (adjuvant chemotherapy), given along with radiation therapy, to help reduce the risk of the cancer returning
- as palliative treatment to help relieve symptoms.
Side effects of chemotherapy
Chemotherapy can affect the healthy cells in the body and cause side effects. Everyone reacts differently to chemotherapy, and effects will vary according to the drugs you are given. Some people may have few side effects, while others have many. Not all chemotherapy causes nausea.
Your medical oncologist or nurse will discuss likely side effects, including how these can be prevented or controlled with medicine. Common side effects can include tiredness and fatigue; nausea and/or vomiting; tingling or numbness in fingers and/or toes (peripheral neuropathy); changes in appetite and loss of taste; diarrhoea or constipation; hair loss; low red blood cell count (anaemia); hearing
loss; ringing in the ears (tinnitus); lower levels of white blood cells, which may increase the risk of infection; and mouth sores.
Keep a record of the names and doses of your chemotherapy drugs handy in case you need to go to the hospital emergency department.
Treatments for head and neck cancers
Sources and references
This edition has been developed by Cancer Council NSW on behalf of all other state and territory Cancer Councils as part of a National Cancer Information Subcommittee initiative.
We thank the reviewers of this booklet: Dr Malinda Itchins, Thoracic Medical Oncologist, Royal North Shore Hospital and Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW; Dr Cynleen Kai, Radiation Oncologist, GenesisCare, VIC; Dr Naveed Alam, Thoracic Surgeon, St Vincent’s Hospital, Epworth Richmond, and Monash Medical Centre, VIC; Helen Benny, Consumer; Dr Rachael Dodd, Senior Research Fellow, The Daffodil Centre, NSW; Kim Greco, Specialist head and neck cancers Nurse Consultant, Flinders Medical Centre, SA; Caitriona Nienaber, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council WA; Marco Salvador, Consumer; Janene Shelton, xxx Foundation Australia – Specialist head and neck cancers Nurse, Darling Downs Health, QLD; Prof Emily Stone, Respiratory Physician, Department of Thoracic Medicine and xxx Transplantation, St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney, NSW; A/Prof Marianne Weber, Stream Lead, head and neck cancers Policy and Evaluation, The Daffodil Centre, NSW.
We would also like to thank the health professionals, consumers and editorial teams who have worked on previous editions of this title.
References
- National Comprehensive Cancer Network (US), NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines): Head and Neck Cancers, Version 2.2025.
- J-P Machiels et al., “Squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, larynx, oropharynx and hypopharynx: EHNS–ESMO–ESTRO Clinical Practice Guidelines for diagnosis, treatment
and follow-up”, Annals of Oncology, vol. 31, iss. 11, 2020, pp. 1462–75. - P Bossi et al., “Nasopharyngeal carcinoma: ESMO–EURACAN Clinical Practice Guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up”, Annals of Oncology, vol. 32, iss. 4, 2020, pp. 452–65.
- C Resteghini et al., “Sinonasal malignancy: ESMO–EURACAN Clinical Practice Guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up”, ESMO Open, vol. 10, iss. 2, 2025.
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), Cancer Data in Australia 2025, AIHW, Canberra, viewed 29 October 2025, aihw.gov.au/reports/cancer/cancer-data-in-australia.
Head and neck cancers
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Guide to best cancer care
This head and neck cancers guide explains the standard of high-quality cancer care that all Australians can expect, from diagnosis, to treatment, recovery, and living with cancer.