Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck is a type of cancer that begins in squamous cells of the head and neck. Squamous cells are thin, flat cells that are similar to fish scales. Such cells are found in the tissue that forms the surface of the skin or the lining of the hollow organs of the body and the respiratory and digestive tracts.

Most head and neck cancer are squamous cell carcinomas and begin in the cells that line the mucosal surfaces of the mouth, nose, and throat. Cancers of the head and neck are further identified by the specific site from which they start: the oral cavity, the salivary glands, the sinuses and nasal cavity, the pharynx and the larynx. Cancers of the brain, eye, and thyroid as well as those of the scalp, skin, muscles, and bones of the head and neck are not usually grouped with head and neck cancers.

Tobacco and alcohol use are the most important risk factors for head and neck cancers, with 85% of head and neck cancers linked to tobacco consumption.

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