“In addition to being able to operate on cancers we previously couldn’t reach, this robotic surgical system offers the advantages of less bleeding, being more minimally invasive, and providing a quicker return to function for the patient,” said Tamer Ghanem, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Head and Neck Surgery and Microvascular Surgery Fellowship in the Department of Otolaryngology at Henry Ford Hospital. “It can also reduce the need for radiation therapy in some patients, as some cancers that may have been only treatable with radiation can now be removed surgically.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2017, the latest year for which data are available, 46,157 new cases of oral cavity and pharynx cancer – also known as head and neck cancers – were reported in the U.S., and 10,126 people died of these cancers. Risk factors include smoking and heavy alcohol use, although recent studies show that approximately 70 percent of cancers of the oropharynx may be linked to HPV.
About Henry Ford Health System:
Founded in 1915 by Henry Ford himself, Henry Ford Health System is a non-profit, integrated health system committed to improving people’s lives through excellence in the science and art of healthcare and healing. Henry Ford Health System consists of six hospitals including Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit; Henry Ford Macomb Hospitals; Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital; Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital; Henry Ford Allegiance in Jackson, MI; and Henry Ford Kingswood Hospital – an inpatient psychiatric hospital.
Henry Ford Health System also includes Henry Ford Medical Group; Henry Ford Physician Network; more than 250 outpatient facilities; Henry Ford Pharmacy; Henry Ford OptimEyes; and other healthcare services. Our not-for-profit health plan, Health Alliance Plan (HAP) provides health coverage for more than 540,000 people.
As one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers, Henry Ford Health System trains more than 3,000 medical students, residents, and fellows annually in more than 50 accredited programs, and has trained nearly 40% of the state’s physicians. Our dedication to education and research is supported by nearly $100 million in annual grants from the National Institutes of Health and other public and private foundations.
Henry Ford Health System employs more than 33,000 people, including more than 1,600 physicians, more than 6,600 nurses and 5,000 allied health professionals.
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