Cover note
On the cover: Head and neck cancer
This week's cover image of Henry reproduced with permission of the charity Saving Faces. Henry underwent several operations culminating in the removal of all his right upper jaw and maxillary sinus for what was thought to be a benign tumour. In fact it was a malignant bone tumour (osteosarcoma). He sought treatment from lain Hutchison, chief executive of Saving Faces, but was advised that because of the position of the tumour an unacceptable amount of his face would need to be excised to achieve its total removal. The affected area was built up using rib to reconstruct the underlying facial architecture, latissimus dorsi muscle from the back to seal the space between the brain and the mouth, and skin from the back to replace lost skin. The tumour recurred five years later on the left side of his upper jaw, and Henry�s left upper jaw, sinus and nasal support were removed. No surgical reconstruction was carried out, but he wore a large denture (obturator) to fill the space.
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