Head and Neck Cancer Surgery

Head and neck cancer surgery is managed and provided through a partnership with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and CancerCare Manitoba.

What is Head and Neck Cancer Surgery?

Head and neck cancer surgery is an operation to repair or remove part of the group of cancers found in the head and neck region. The head and neck region includes:

• oral cavity (mouth);
• pharynx (throat);
• thyroid;
• larynx ("Adam's apple" or voice box);
• sinuses (small hollow spaces around the nose lined with cells that secrete mucus);
• nasal cavity (airway just behind the nose); and
• salivary glands (parotid, submanidular, sublingual glands that secrete saliva).

Data for this head and neck cancer surgery reflects surgery provided for all patients with cancer in the head and neck regions. 

---

Head and Neck Cancer Surgery Wait Times (Median¹)

Priority 1: Urgent < 6 weeks to surgery	Priority 2: Semi-urgent < 12 weeks to surgery	Priority 3: Elective < 24 weeks to surgery	All Priority Levels Combined
2	12	14	3
Data for March 2012

¹ Median wait time: The point at which half the patients have had their treatment, and the other half are still waiting. For example, if a median wait time is 4 weeks, this means that half of the patients waited less than 4 weeks, and half waited more than 4 weeks. The median is another way of reflecting what a "typical" patient might have experienced in that time period. Unlike the average, the median is not generally influenced by one or two very unusual cases (long or short), and is therefore more stable over time.

Cases of Head and Neck Surgery - All Cases Combined

Regional Health Authority	Facility	Total  (per month)	2011/2012 Fiscal Year to Date1	2010/2011 Fiscal Year
Winnipeg	Health Sciences Centre St. Boniface General Hospital	67	832	915
Manitoba Total		67	832	915
Data for March 2012

¹Fiscal year is April to March.

Disclaimer