Head and neck cancer affects the nose, mouth, lips, gums, tongue, throat, and voice box in over 50,000 people in the US each year. The main causes are smoking and tobacco, as well as alcohol use and HPV infection. Symptoms include lumps in the neck or throat, persistent sore throat, trouble swallowing, unexplained weight loss, and frequent coughing. Treatment involves surgery to remove the cancer, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of these. Prevention through smoking cessation and screening are key to curing cancer.