In the United States for the year 2003, cancers of the head and neck accounted for 2.8% of all new cancer cases and 2% of all cancer deaths. Because these tumors are relatively uncommon, misdiagnosis along with patient neglect not uncommonly contributes to an advanced stage at presentation and limited survival. Despite their relatively low numbers in clinical practice, research and management of head and neck cancers continue to receive significant emphasis owing to the rich anatomic and functional complexity of this body site, which is critical to issues of self-esteem, communication, and social integration. Although squamous cell carcinomas constitute a majority of adult histopathologic patterns (95%) that may be seen in head and neck cancers, the variation in histopathologic types and the differing features of the possible anatomic subsites of involvement result in tremendous discordant variability in the natural course of the diseases for this small anatomic region.