An outline of the history of head and neck oncology

SummaryThis review analyzes the development of head and neck oncology as outlined in medical history articles. A systematic literature survey was conducted with the search engines “Google Scholar” and “PubMed” and the retrieved publications were cross-referenced. In addition, books and, when possible, original sources were consulted. While most of the material was obtained from publications from the modern era reviewing historical data, some of the information was derived from original source material. The obtained articles on the history of cancer were then analyzed for details on head and neck oncology. The cradle of oncology was located in ancient Egypt and Greece. The search showed that the first tumors treated in the head and neck were either cutaneous malignancies or cancers on the mucosal surfaces of the oral cavity. The origin, diagnosis and treatment of more deeply situated tumors of the larynx and hypopharynx remained obscure for many centuries. The medieval age brought little progress to medicine in general, and in head and neck oncology in particular, due to religious concerns. Renaissance medicine was characterized by advances in medicine and oncology made by systematic dissection studies of normal and pathologic anatomy. The 19th and 20th century reflect the development of head and neck oncology in the era of science based medicine. Almost all of our current understanding of head and neck oncology, our diagnostic methods and treatment strategies have been developed in these two centuries. The analysis showed that many oncologic problems, which occupy our minds today, were also concerns of our medical ancestors.