Head & Neck Clinical Programs

​​​​Through the Wharton Head and Neck Centre, Princess Margaret Head and Neck Group assesses, treats and rehabilitates people with cancer.​​

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Clinical Nutrition Program

Clinical Nutrition contributes to the overall health and quality of life of our patients. Optimal medical nutrition therapy can reduce complications, hospital stays and mortality.

Clinical Nutrition has Registered Dietitians (RDs) and Clinical Diet Technicians. RDs provide high quality and evidence-based practice within a multidisciplinary framework. Clinical Diet Technicians work under the supervision of RDs, assisting in the provision of optimal patient care to patients.

Learn more about the Clinical Nutrition Program »

Dental and Maxillofacial Prosthetics Services

Some people who have been treated for head and neck cancer may need help replacing parts of the face or mouth affected by surgery or other treatments. At the Wharton Head and Neck Centre, we provide both dental and facial (craniofacial) prosthetics to support patients with comfort, function and appearance.

These services are offered by the expert teams at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (Dental Oncology, Maxillofacial Prosthetics Unit, and Surgical Oncology) and the Craniofacial Prosthetics Unit at Sunnybrook Hospital.

  • The Dental Oncology and Maxillofacial Prosthetics team at Princess Margaret specializes in restoring missing teeth and parts of the mouth. This includes using dental implants and creating custom-made prosthetics that are comfortable and secure.
  • The Craniofacial Prosthetics team at Sunnybrook creates prosthetics for parts of the face such as the ear, nose or eye socket that may have been removed or affected by treatment.

These teams work to help patients regain function and confidence after cancer treatment.

Dental Oncology Program

Head and neck cancer patients require a comprehensive dental assessment prior to treatment and during follow up because of the effects of their cancer and treatment on oral and dental function. Our Dental Oncology Program consists of dentists specializing in the dental management unique to the needs of cancer patients. The Head and Neck Site Group offers every patient assessment and follow-up within Dental Oncology.

Learn more about the Dental Oncology Program »

Head & Neck Cancer Survivorship Programme

The Head and Neck Cancer Survivorship Programme was established to address the needs of patients and families living with the physical, functional, emotional and social impacts of the cancer and treatment. We have defined Head and Neck cancer survivors as "people affected by a diagnosis of cancer, including family members, friends and caregivers – at ANY time in the cancer journey".

The programme operates from an inclusive, grassroots perspective within an inter-professional model of care that integrates the clinical care of patients with programme and resource development and clinical research.

Mouth/High-Risk Oral Lesion (HROL) Clinic

Our Mouth/HROL clinic is supported by Dr. Patricia Brooks DDS PhD FRCDC (Oral Pathology & Oral Medicine). This program is designed to allow dental health care professionals to refer patients with suspicious oral lesions directly to the Princess Margaret and avoid delays in diagnosis.

Learn more about the Mouth/High-Risk Oral Lesion (HROL) Clinic »

Psychosocial Oncology Clinic

Psychosocial oncology is a specialty in cancer care focused on the impact of cancer upon the whole person including the social, psychological, emotional, spiritual and functional aspects of the illness experience.
This division provides direct care for the moderate to severe psychosocial distress and needs of the patients and their families who have cancer-related distress or psychosocial issues. It supports the Princess Margaret oncology teams in managing mild psychosocial distress and needs at the point of care.

Learn more about the Psychosocial Oncology Clinic »

Radiation Nursing Clinic

The Radiation Nursing Clinic (RNC) is a clinic that helps patients manage the side effects of their radiation treatment.

Learn more about the Radiation Nursing Clinic »

Speech-Language Pathology Services

Speech language pathologists provide service to patients with communication and swallowing difficulties, educate future clinicians and advance clinical research. We strive to advance practice through developing and piloting innovative roles for care delivery and developing and implementing medical directives and delegated acts to enable practice at a full scope.

Services are offered to people who are experiencing swallowing or communication difficulties as a result of cancer at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Patients with cancers of the head and neck are followed at Toronto General during their surgical treatment and then followed as outpatients at Princess Margaret within a multi-professional clinic setting. A full range of service is provided to patients undergoing laryngectomy, including tracheo-esophageal voice restoration.

Learn more about the Speech-Language Pathology Services »

https://www.uhn.ca/PrincessMargaret/Health_Professionals/Programs_Departments/Breast/Pages/clinical_programs.aspx
https://www.uhn.ca/PrincessMargaret/Education/Continuing_Education_Programs/Pages/continuing_education_programs.aspx
Last reviewed: 6/9/2025
Last modified: 6/10/2025 10:59 AM
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