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Hunterdon Hematology Oncology is Expanding to Hawk Pointe in Washington, NJ

We are thrilled to share some exciting news with the residents of Washington and the surrounding areas – Hunterdon Hematology Oncology (HHO) is expanding to your community! As a leading community oncology practice, we are committed to providing exceptional cancer care to patients in Hunterdon County and the surrounding areas, and we are bringing our services closer to your neighborhood.

Our new location at 6 Clubhouse Drive, Suite 201, Washington, NJ 07882, will be opening in the near future and staffed by our experienced physicians, Dr. Megha Shah and Dr. Waqas Rehman. They are dedicated to delivering personalized and compassionate care to our patients, ready to serve the residents of Washington and the surrounding community.

As we prepare to start seeing patients in the Hawk Pointe area, we are filled with anticipation and excitement. We are committed to delivering the same level of excellence in care that our patients have come to expect from us, and we are dedicated to making a positive impact on the health and well-being of the residents in Washington and the surrounding communities.

To stay updated on the latest news and updates from Hunterdon Hematology Oncology, please follow us on social media.

‘Oncology Focused Psychosocial Support & Community Resources’ Event: Join Us for an Empowering Evening

Living with cancer, past or present, is a challenging and emotional experience. The physical and emotional burden that cancer brings is undeniable, and often requires more than just medical attention. It is vital to understand what support and community resources are available to help you manage the road ahead. That is why Hunterdon Hematology Oncology is proud to present ‘Oncology Focused Psychosocial Support & Community Resources’ with Christina Murphy, MSW, LCSW, our clinical social worker.

Join us on Thursday, April 6, 2023, at 6:00 PM in the Hunterdon Medical Center Auditorium located at 2100 Wescott Drive, Flemington, NJ 08822, for an informative evening. This community event opens a forum to discuss the support programs and community resources available in Hunterdon County and the surrounding areas. During this event, we will provide insights and guidance to attendees to better understand the information, tools, and resources available to them and their loved ones while navigating their journey through cancer treatment. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session where attendees can ask questions and get advice from the HHO team.

HHO presents Oncology Focused Psychosocial Support & Community Resources Event

The event is open to everyone, and we encourage patients, survivors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals to attend. This is an excellent opportunity to learn in a group setting with other individuals facing similar circumstances. At Hunterdon Hematology Oncology, we understand the importance of supporting those who are living with cancer. Our aim is to empower the community, our patients and their families to make informed decisions and feel more confident in their journey.

To register for the event, please send an email to [email protected]. Remember to wear a face mask as it is mandatory for all attendees.

At Hunterdon Hematology Oncology, we are committed to helping you navigate your cancer journey, and we hope that this event will provide you with the support and resources that you need. Join us for this community event and learn more about the support that is available to you.

10 Must-Know Facts About Cervical Cancer

This past year, an estimated 14,100 women in the United States were diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer, yet it is the fourth most frequently diagnosed cancer in women between the ages of 35 and 44 worldwide.

Cervical cancer affects the cervix, and the most common cause is infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection. Cervical cancer can often be found early, and sometimes even prevented, by having regular screening tests. If detected early, cervical cancer is one of the most successfully treatable cancers.

As January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, here are the top 10 key facts and statistics you need to know about cervical cancer:

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide, with an estimated 570,000 new cases and 311,000 deaths in 2020.
HPV is mainly transmitted through sexual contact and most people are infected with HPV shortly after the onset of sexual activity. More than 90% of them clear the infection eventually.
Cervical cancer is more common in women who smoke, have multiple sexual partners, or have a weakened immune system.
Women living with HIV are 6 times more likely to develop cervical cancer compared to women without HIV.
Cervical cancer can be prevented through HPV vaccinations, practicing safe sex, quitting smoking, and getting regular cancer screenings, such as Pap tests or HPV tests.
Currently available vaccines are intended to produce immunity to HPV types that cause about 90% of cervical cancers. Two main HPV types are responsible for nearly 50% of high grade cervical pre-cancers.
Symptoms of cervical cancer may include abnormal vaginal bleeding, pain during sex, and abnormal discharge.
Treatment options for cervical cancer may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy.
The 5-year survival rate for cervical cancer is 92% for cases detected at the earliest stage (stage 0 or stage 1). This drops to 57% for stage 2, 17% for stage 3, and 9% for stage 4.
Cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in women in many developing countries, but is much less common in developed countries due to widespread access to screening and vaccination. Cervical cancer disproportionately affects women of lower socio-economic status and those who lack access to healthcare.

At Hunterdon Hematology Oncology, we are a community oncology practice holding continuous education and information sharing as a top priority. WHO practices integrative oncology, using complementary techniques to improve quality of life and help our patients manage the journey through cancer treatment.

To find out more about cervical cancer, book a screening test, or arrange a consultation, call the HHO team in Flemington, New Jersey at 908-237-1201 or schedule an appointment online.

Multiple myeloma is a form of cancer that affects your blood. This disease presents itself in various ways, from bone pain to mental fog. Knowing the symptoms is one of the best ways to catch the disease early on, making it easier to diagnose and treat.

At Hunterdon Oncology and Hematology, LLC, our team of renowned experts helps you when you’re suffering from a blood disorder or cancer. Leading our team are five hematology and oncology specialists. Our team offers cutting-edge treatments when you find yourself with multiple myeloma.

What is multiple myeloma?

Multiple myeloma is a type of cancer that affects the plasma cells in your blood. These cells are a type of white blood cell, and they’re an important part of your immune system.

Your plasma cells help your body fight off foreign invaders, such as bacteria or viruses that could harm you. They do this by producing antibodies, which are able to detect and eliminate most pathogens that get into your body.

Multiple myeloma happens when your plasma cells mutate into cancerous cells. These cells then migrate into your bone marrow, where they clump together and push out your healthy plasma cells.

These cancerous plasma cells then make abnormal proteins instead of antibodies, which leads to complications and uncomfortable symptoms. Multiple myeloma is a rare form of cancer, but it’s just as dangerous as any other form of the disease.

8 common symptoms of multiple myeloma

In the early stages of multiple myeloma, you may not have any symptoms at all. However, as the diseased plasma cells begin to accumulate in your bone marrow, you may suffer from numerous symptoms.

The symptoms you experience depend on how advanced the disease is. Eight of the most common symptoms of multiple myeloma include:

Bone pain
Weight loss
Excessive thirst
Extreme fatigue
Brain fog
Nausea
Constipation
Frequent infections

You may also notice that you’re bleeding more easily than normal, or bruising frequently. The decrease in healthy plasma cells prevents production of adequate platelets in your blood. Platelets are a vital component of blood clotting, which is why their absence makes you bleed more easily.

You may experience all of these symptoms or only a few. It depends on how much bone marrow is affected by the cancerous plasma cells and in which parts of your body.

When to seek treatment

It’s hard to believe, but you may not actually need treatment right away with multiple myeloma. For instance, if the disease is moving slowly and you don’t have many symptoms, our team simply recommends monitoring you to evaluate your condition.

If you’re exhibiting signs and symptoms of multiple myeloma, you should seek treatment from our team as soon as possible. At our facility, our team of oncology specialists evaluates your symptoms and uses diagnostic tools like lab testing or a bone marrow biopsy.

The team offers several treatments based on the severity of your disease. They may include chemotherapy, radiation, or immunotherapy. They also provide corticosteroids and stem cell therapy or bone marrow transplants to ease your symptoms and control multiple myeloma.

If you’re exhibiting signs of multiple myeloma, don’t hesitate to call our office in Flemington, New Jersey at 908-788-6461, or schedule an appointment online with one of our expert doctors today.

When you have cancer, immunotherapy is one of the cutting-edge treatment options you have. There are many different forms of immunotherapy, and each one works to find invasive cancer cells and destroy them. Each form of immunotherapy can help different types of cancer.

At Hunterdon Oncology and Hematology, our expert team of five oncologists and hematologists offers state-of-the-art treatments for just about every form of cancer. The team is proud to provide immunotherapy as an option for many of our cancer patients who are looking for hope during their fight with cancer.

What is immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy is a modern technology that uses your immune system to fight off certain types of cancer and cancer cells. It can either boost the overall health of your immune system or help it work more efficiently.

Immunotherapy has been used to treat various types of cancer. The team at Hunterdon Oncology and Hematology use this form of therapy to treat cancers such as:

Lymphoma
Liver cancer
Stomach cancer
Cervical cancer
Bladder cancer

It’s also used for head and neck cancers, along with colon cancer and prostate cancer. While immunotherapy is a very versatile treatment, it’s not for everyone. Our team helps you determine if this is a viable treatment option for your specific condition.

What are the different types of immunotherapy?

There are many forms of immunotherapy, each of which works differently to enhance your immune system’s ability to seek out and destroy cancer cells. The forms of immunotherapy our team offers include:

T-cell transfer therapy

This form of immunotherapy helps your T-cells find and kill cancer cells more easily. Our doctors extract powerful immune cells that are attached to your tumor or cancer cells. They then take them to the lab, and find the strongest T-cells. The team multiplies these cells in the lab, and injects them back into the tumor to destroy it.

Monoclonal antibodies

Antibodies are made by your immune system to find and destroy antigens, or invaders in your body. Monoclonal antibodies are made in a lab, specifically for the antigens that are attached to cancer cells. Once they attach to the cancer antigens, your immune system can find and destroy those cells.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors

Immune checkpoints are in place to keep your immune system from attacking healthy cells when fighting off an invader. However, cancer cells sometimes turn these checkpoints on where they shouldn’t be, allowing the cells to spread.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are treatments that turn off some of your immune system’s checkpoints, which allows it to seek out the cancer cells and destroy them.

Treatment vaccines

Cancer vaccines are similar to the other vaccines you receive for things like the flu or tetanus, which helps prevent these illnesses. Treatment vaccines use proteins from cancer cells or dead cancer cells to trigger an immune response from your body.

Immune system modulators

This form of immunotherapy basically gives your immune system a large boost. This works, because a strong immune system works better to fight off invaders, such as cancer cells. Examples of immune system modulators or interleukins and interferons.

Each form of immunotherapy works differently on your body to fight off tumors or cancer cells. The specific type of immunotherapy you need depends on your overall health, the type of cancer you have, and what other treatments you’ve tried.

Is everyone a candidate for immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy is a modern treatment option for those needing new hope in their cancer treatment. However, it’s not made for every case of cancer. You may be considered for immunotherapy if you have:

Advanced cancer
Exhausted other treatment options
Non-small cell lung cancer
Biomarkers positive for PD-L1
High tumor mutational burden
High microsatellite instability

There are a lot of up-and-coming cancer treatments, many of which our team offers to you. If you’re struggling with cancer, the team at Hunterdon Oncology and Hematology provides expert immunotherapy consults to determine what the best course of treatment is for your type and stage of cancer.

If you’d like to learn more about how immunotherapy can help you, don’t hesitate to call our office in Flemington, New Jersey at 908-788-6461, or schedule an appointment online with one of our expert doctors today.

When you’re diagnosed with cancer, there are a number of treatments available. Among the most common treatments is chemotherapy, used for a variety of cancers at many different stages of the disease. Preparing for chemotherapy is vital to getting through these treatments successfully.

At Hunterdon Oncology and Hematology, our team specializes in a variety of cancer treatments, including chemotherapy. Leading our team are five expertly trained oncologists and hematologists, who help you understand your cancer and get you the advanced treatment you need to fight it.

What is chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses very strong chemicals to kill cancer cells growing in your body. Many of the drugs used in chemotherapy are considered cytotoxic, which means they target and kill rapidly growing cancer cells.

There are many different drugs used in chemotherapy, some that have been around for a long time, and some that are newer. Chemotherapy can be used as the only form of treatment for your cancer, or it may be combined with other therapies like radiation to give you a better prognosis.

Chemotherapy works systemically — meaning it travels throughout your body, killing any cancer cells that have spread from the primary tumor. This is how chemotherapy differs from other treatments, such as radiation and immunotherapy.

Chemotherapy is delivered in several different ways, including through an IV infusion or in pill form. There are also chemotherapy creams that are applied topically, injections, and wafers that are placed in your body at the tumor site through surgery.

The way you receive chemotherapy is highly dependent on your specific type of cancer.

How to prepare for chemotherapy

Preparing for chemotherapy is half the battle. This form of treatment is daunting, and often leaves your body drained. However, by preparing ahead of time, you’ll be ready for the side effects when they hit, and your experience may be a little better than if you weren’t in the know.

Our team assists you on prep steps to take before you start chemotherapy. Some of the ways you can prepare include:

Bring entertainment

Chemotherapy sessions can be very long — several hours in some cases. Bring a laptop to watch a movie, or cards to play with your companion. This helps to pass the time and takes your focus off of the actual treatment.

See your dentist

Making sure your dental health is in check helps prevent complications from chemotherapy. You should see your dentist within six months of starting chemotherapy to ensure there are no infections in your mouth to worry about.

Pack a bag

Bring a bag along with things such as a blanket, water, and a small snack to help you through long chemo sessions. Bring anything that brings you comfort while you’re receiving the treatment.

Prepare some meals

You may not feel well after your chemotherapy session, so it’s important to meal prep ahead of time. This way, if you’re not feeling well enough to cook, you still have something to eat when you get home.

Pick up any medications

Get your home medications at your pharmacy before you begin your chemo. This ensures that you have all the medications you need available, since you’ll likely be wiped out from your session.

It’s also important that you bring someone along with you if you can. This person not only provides companionship, but also helps with any questions you may have or note taking you need during your chemotherapy session.

Why preparation is important

Your chemotherapy session may be anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, depending on your specific treatment plan. This takes a lot of time out of your day, and you might be tired afterwards.

Getting things in order before your chemotherapy session is important for a number of reasons. Because of the strength of the medications, you may experience a number of side effects that can affect you for a few days, which include:

Nausea or vomiting
Fatigue
Fever
Pain
Diarrhea or constipation
Mouth sores

These side effects don’t last forever, but can continue for the duration of your chemotherapy treatments. Getting prepared for this ahead of time helps you cut down on side effects, and gets your home ready if they do hit, so you’re comfortable.

Side effects aren’t the only reason why preparation is important. If you’re receiving chemotherapy, it’s likely a huge aspect of your treatment plan. Knowing what to expect and understanding the medications gets you mentally prepared to go through the rounds of treatment that you’ll need.

If you’re in need of chemotherapy, our team can help. Don’t hesitate to call our office in Flemington, New Jersey at 908-788-6461, or schedule an appointment online with one of our expert doctors today.

Bruising is common when you’ve suffered an injury. It’s essentially broken blood vessels beneath your skin, which leads to bleeding within the tissues. This leaves a blue or purple mark, which is the bruise. However, if you’re noticing bruises and aren’t sure where they came from, it could be a sign of a blood disorder.

At Hunterdon Oncology and Hematology, our team determines if your bruises are cause for concern. Our expert team is made up of five board-certified and experienced oncologists and hematologists. Together, they provide treatment for cancer and blood disorders.

What are blood disorders?

A blood disorder occurs when something prevents your blood cells from doing their assigned jobs. These disorders vary; some cause more bleeding than normal and others cause issues with blood clotting.

Blood disorders are often genetic, meaning you inherit them from a close relative. However, they also occur due to certain medications, nutritional deficiencies, or other diseases. In most instances, people with blood disorders live normal lives while managing the condition.

There are several different types of blood disorders, which are categorized by which part of your blood is affected. Three of the main categories of blood disorders include:

1. White blood cell disorders

If you’re healthy, your body produces billions of white blood cells every day. They’re mainly produced in your bone marrow, and they help fight off infection and disease.

Leukopenia is a blood disorder characterized by extremely low levels of white blood cells. This puts you at a high risk for infection. Leukocytosis involves having too many white blood cells.

2. Red blood cell disorders

Red blood cells are vital, because they transport oxygen throughout your body. With red blood cell disorders, some part of the cell isn’t functioning properly, which can lead to decreased oxygenation in your body. Examples of these blood disorders include sickle cell anemia and thalassemia.

3. Platelet disorders

Platelets are important because they play a huge role in the clotting cascade. This basically means they form clots when you’re injured to stop bleeding. These types of blood disorders aren’t common, but they cause problems with bleeding.

Is easy bruising a cause for concern?

Most bruising shouldn’t send up a red flag that there’s a problem, especially if you remember hitting the area on something. If your bruise seems to get better after a few days and is showing signs of healing, there also isn’t much need to worry.

If you’re noticing quite a few bruises that don’t seem to add up, you shouldn’t dismiss them right away. This is especially true if the bruises are on your face, abdomen, or back. These are unusual areas to get bruised without remembering the cause.

Bruising can happen for a number of reasons, including some blood disorders. The blood disorders that cause this problem include:

Von Willebrand disease

Von Willebrand is a specific protein in your blood that’s essential for clotting. The Von Willebrand protein attaches to platelets and helps them stick to each other to stop bleeding. Without the protein, or if it’s defective, you won’t clot as quickly, which can lead to easy bruising.

Hemophilia

Hemophilia is another blood disorder that’s caused by defective clotting in your blood. This disorder is inherited, and is caused by lower-than-normal levels of either factor VIII clotting factor or factor IX clotting factor.

Thrombocytopenia

This blood disorder happens when you don’t have enough platelets in your blood for clotting. If you have easy bruising that pops up more than usual, thrombocytopenia could be to blame.

When to seek treatment for bruising

Bruises that seem to pop up all over your body with no known cause should be a reason for concern. This is especially true if they don’t seem to be getting better on their own after more than a few days.

The team at Hunterdon Oncology and Hematology wants to see you if you have any of the following concerns:

Bruising continues to come back
No improvement in the bruising after a week
The bruise is extremely large
The bruises are unprovoked
Bruises are accompanied by unexplained nosebleeds

The good news is that blood disorders can be managed through a number of therapies and treatments. Our team bases your treatment on the specific type of blood disorder you have.

For clotting disorders, the best treatment is to replace the factors that are missing in your blood. You may need infusions of factor VIII or factor IX for hemophilia, or Desmopressin Acetate for Von Willebrand disease.

If you’re worried about bruising on your body, don’t hesitate to call our office in Flemington, New Jersey at 908-788-6461, or schedule an appointment online with one of our expert doctors today.

Have you ever wondered where all of the cancer treatments that are available to you came from? All of these treatments were once a clinical trial, which allowed their effectiveness and safety to be determined on a small population. There are constantly new trials going on, and joining one can benefit you in a number of ways.

At Hunterdon Oncology and Hematology, the team helps you get the expert treatment you need when you’re suffering from cancer or blood disorders. Leading our team are five highly trained board-certified oncologists and hematologists who are happy to offer the latest clinical trials for a number of disorders.

What are clinical trials?

Clinical trials are basically research studies conducted on humans to determine the efficacy of a treatment or medical device. These studies are the main way researchers determine if a treatment is viable and safe to use in the general population.

However, clinical trials also go through several stages before the treatment is available to everyone. This not only ensures that the treatment is safe, but also that it’s effective for the condition included in the trial.

There are four official phases that every clinical trial needs to go through to become approved by the FDA. The first phase determines the safety and any side effects on a small group of people. The second phase involves more people, and aims to determine the effectiveness of the treatment, along with continuing to assess safety and side effects.

When the trial gets into stage three, it’s made available to a larger group of people, along with other populations. Dosages of a medication are also studied, along with combinations of the trial drug and other treatments. If the FDA determines that the trial has shown positive results, the treatment becomes approved for use.

Phase four happens after the FDA approves the medication or treatment in the trial. The effectiveness of the treatment, along with its safety, are still monitored on a much larger and more diverse population.

When to consider a clinical trial

Being a part of a clinical trial can be scary — but it can also open doors to treatments that could potentially change your life. But when should you consider joining one of these trials?

A good time to consider a clinical trial is when other treatments haven’t worked, and you don’t have other options. A clinical trial can give you the opportunity to try an up-and-coming treatment for your condition.

Sometimes, there aren’t any treatments available for a specific condition. A clinical trial gives you a chance at finding a viable treatment for your condition. It also gives you a chance to take your health into your own hands.

What are the benefits of a clinical trial?

There are a number of benefits when joining a clinical trial, but it’s important to weigh both the pros and cons before getting involved. Our team helps you find clinical trials that pertain to your condition and provide you with all the details to assist you with a decision.

Clinical trials offer many opportunities for a number of different cancer conditions. Some of the main benefits of joining one of these trials include:

Early access to the latest therapies

Clinical trials offer the most up-and-coming treatments that aren’t available to the public yet. If you join a clinical trial, you’ll get to experience the latest therapies and medications that could change the course of your cancer.

You get to help others

When you participate in a clinical trial, you have the opportunity to pave the way for future patients with the same medical problem. You’re a part of groundbreaking research that could provide a cure or effective therapy for others down the road.

More frequent checkups and care

You’re often more closely monitored when you participate in a clinical trial. This is because the research team needs to observe the way the medication or therapy is affecting your condition. This includes more frequent appointments and imaging studies, which can help to put your mind at ease.

Less cost to you

In most cases, you won’t have to pay for the drugs in your clinical trial. The team conducting the trial often covers the cost of the medication or therapy being tested. However, it’s important to remember that there could be other costs involved, such as travel or lodging, that you’ll need to cover.

If you’d like to learn more about participating in a clinical trial, call our office in Flemington, New Jersey at 908-788-6461, or schedule an appointment online with one of our expert doctors today.

Clinical trials exist for many different types of medical treatments and products. These trials are a way for doctors and patients to test the most up-to-date and state-of-the-art treatments available for a disease. Cancer clinical trials are a way for you to participate in a study while possibly improving your condition.

At Hunterdon Oncology and Hematology, our team offers a variety of clinical trials for several different types of cancer. Our practice is led by five highly trained oncologists and hematologists. Our physicians are happy to help you get started in a clinical trial specific to your form of cancer if you qualify.

What are clinical trials?

Clinical trials are research studies that involve human participants and are designed to study the effects of treatments on a certain population. The goal of the clinical trial is to evaluate how effective the drug or treatment is on the participants’ specific condition and overall health.

Clinical trials involve volunteers, meaning you sign up on your own to participate. There are often certain criteria you have to meet to be a part of such a trial. These studies are designed to test a number of different interventions in medicine, including:

Medical devices
Radiology procedures
Medications
Surgical procedures

Biological procedures and cells are other types of treatments that are involved in clinical trials. Cancer research uses clinical trials to study the outcomes of new treatments on different types of cancer. This helps to determine if a medical treatment has positive outcomes for these individuals.

Why are clinical trials important?

Clinical trials are vital to the improvement of the healthcare system. These trials allow for possible improvements in treatments and therapies for thousands of different diseases, including cancer.

Without clinical trials, medicine wouldn’t be able to move forward, with new and improved treatment options. The trials allow for potential cures, and for an overall improved outcome of millions of patients across the country.

These trials also allow us to see if the benefits of a potential treatment outweigh the side effects or risks. The different phases of clinical trials determine the side effects among a large group of people, to see if the treatment is worth it in the end.

If you’re suffering from a specific type of cancer, a clinical trial could be a way for you to get a new type of treatment when others haven’t helped. It gives you a chance to get the newest treatments available when the trial is focused on your type of cancer.

The different phases of clinical trials

Clinical trials go through several different phases before the treatment can be considered for approval for large-scale use. Each phase uses volunteers to test out the treatment and to determine if it’s safe for use. The four phases that clinical trials go through include:

Phase 1

The first phase of a clinical trial is to ensure first and foremost that the drug or treatment is safe for humans. It allows the researchers to determine a safe dosage for medications, and to learn how the treatment works within your body. This phase also identifies any adverse effects, and only involves a small number of participants.

Phase 2

Once the drug or treatment is determined to be safe, it can move into phase two of the trial. This phase is similar to phase one, but it requires a larger number of participants. This helps to determine the adverse effects on a larger number of people, to determine if the treatment is viable.

Phase 3

After the second phase has been completed, and the treatment is still being considered for widespread use, phase three of the clinical trial begins. In this stage, the drug or treatment is studied on a much larger scale. It involves many more participants, and is conducted in other regions and other countries. This is often the phase that occurs right before the treatment is considered for approval.

Phase 4

This phase occurs after the treatment or drug has been approved for use by a governing body, such as the FDA. Even though it’s been approved for use, there still may be aspects that need to be studied on more people over a longer timeframe. It can involve thousands of participants, and allows for more research into important information that still needs to be learned about the treatment.

At our facility, our team offers a number of different clinical trials if you suffer from conditions such as multiple myeloma, myelofibrosis, and polycythemia vera. Our doctors help you figure out if a clinical trial could help you.

If you’re interested in learning more about clinical trials for your condition, call our office in Flemington, New Jersey at 908-788-6461, or schedule an appointment online with one of our expert doctors today.

Many factors increase your risks for the numerous different types of cancer — but did you know that your oral hygiene is one of them? Head and neck cancers encompass a number of different conditions that affect your nose, mouth, and throat. So it’s no surprise that bad oral habits can increase your risk of these cancers.

At Hunterdon Oncology and Hematology, our team specializes in diagnosing and treating the numerous types of cancer and blood disorders. At the forefront of our team are five expertly trained oncologists and hematologists, who offer state-of-the-art treatments and therapies when you’re suffering from cancer.

Types of head and neck cancers

Head and neck cancers are conditions that affect the mucosal linings in your mouth and throat. Your voice box and sinuses may also be affected. The mucosal linings are often affected by squamous cell carcinomas, which are cancers of that specific cell type.

Less commonly, cancers may affect your salivary glands or the nerves and muscles in your neck. While these types of cancers exist, they’re rare compared to those from squamous cell carcinoma.

Some of the many different kinds of cancers that affect your head and neck include:

Lip cancer
Oropharyngeal cancer
Nasopharyngeal cancer
Laryngeal cancer
Paranasal sinus cancer
Hypopharyngeal cancer

Many of these types of cancer are related to the use of tobacco products and excessive alcohol consumption. However, there are other risk factors as well, one of which is poor oral hygiene.

Your oral hygiene can be related to cancer

Believe it or not, your oral hygiene affects more than just your teeth and gums. In fact, bad oral hygiene is related to a number of health conditions, including head and neck cancers. But what exactly is the reason for this?

Poor dental hygiene results in the buildup of plaque and tartar on your teeth. If left untreated by a dental professional, they can contribute to gum disease. Gingivitis and periodontitis are both types of gum disease, with the latter being more severe.

Gum disease leads to pocketing around your teeth that fill with plaque and bacteria, specifically Porphyromonas gingivalis. This bacterium has been found in large amounts within tumors of the head and neck.

But what types of oral hygiene practices put you at a higher risk for cancer? If you have any of the following, your risk of head and neck cancers may be increased:

More than five missing teeth
Dentures
Brushing less than once daily
Gum disease and bleeding

Lack of regular visits to your dentist also increases your risk of head and neck cancers. This is because you miss out on the screening and cleaning of your gums and teeth. This helps to eliminate the harmful bacteria that can lurk in your gums.

What you can do to decrease your risk

Unfortunately, cancer can’t always be prevented, especially if you have a familial history of it. However, you can change some of the risk factors that make it more likely you’ll end up with head or neck cancers.

Oral hygiene is one of the factors you’re able to control. This means taking your time to properly brush and floss. It also means regular trips to the dentist to make sure you don’t have gum disease or any other problems that could provoke cancer cells to form.

Also, there aren’t any real screening tests for many head and neck cancers, but dentists do check for signs of a problem. During your regular dental visits, most providers check in your oral cavity for signs that might point to suspicious cells or signs of cancer.

Our team of experts helps you understand your risk for head and neck cancers, so you’re able to get ahead of the problem. Along with proper oral hygiene, our doctors get you the treatment you need if you’re at an increased risk for these forms of cancer.

If you’ve been diagnosed with a head or neck cancer, or would like more information, call our office in Flemington, New Jersey at 908-788-6461, or schedule an appointment online with one of our amazing doctors today.

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