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Throat cancer is a malignancy of either the tonsils, pharynx, or larynx. The throat is a hollow and muscular structure that begins from behind your nose till your neck. The initial stage of throat cancer will start with vague and nonspecific symptoms and later it will start developing into unresolved lump or growth. Doctoroncall is a platform where you can ask more about your health conditions including their signs and symptoms. The symptoms of throat cancer are:
- Hoarseness of voice
- Prolonged cough
- Loss of weight
- Loss of appetite
- Difficulty in swallowing
- Ear pain
- Lump
- Coughing out blood
If the cancer metastasis or spread to other body parts, more symptoms, and clinical signs will arise. The definite cause has not yet been found, but the mutation is most likely to cause throat cancer. However, certain factors will increase the possibilities or risk for a person to suffer from throat cancer. The factors are:
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Excessive cigarette smoking
- Excessive chewing tobacco
- Human papillomavirus infection
- An unbalanced diet with fewer vegetables and fruits
- Those with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
The type of malignancy that usually occurs in throat cancer is squamous cell carcinoma. Squamous cells are a type of lining cell that is flat in configuration and these types of cells line the inner surface of your throat. Malignancy or cancer is a state in which your normal cells multiply, divide, and reproduce rapidly and beyond control and exceed the number of dead cells. This rapid and abnormal increase in your cells will cause many structural and functional issues and cause a condition known as cancer.
There are no particular preventive measures are there to prevent throat cancer. However, by reducing or eliminating the risk factors may reduce the chances for you to get throat cancer. The possible ways to reduce the risk of getting throat cancer are:
- Stop or minimize cigarette smoking
- Avoid chewing of tobacco
- Consume a balanced and healthy diet with adequate fruits and vegetables
- Take HPV vaccinations
The subtypes of throat cancer which are divided according to their origin are:
- Supraglottic cancer
- Subglottic cancer
- Glottic cancer
- Oropharyngeal cancer
- Nasopharyngeal cancer
- Hypopharyngeal cancer
The nasopharynx is the structure located behind your nose. The oropharynx is the structure behind your mouth that includes the tonsils. Hypopharynx is the structure above your esophagus and your windpipe or trachea.
Diagnosing a throat cancer is similar to diagnosing other diseases as physical examination, history taking, and investigations are required. History taking will focus on the conversation between patient and doctor. This conversation will be focussing on exploring the symptoms, risk factors, and other factors that may give physician clues in formulating possible diagnoses. Next, a physical examination is a process of your doctor examining you to get some information and to elicit signs.
History taking and physical examination will help doctors to select appropriate investigations needed to conclude a diagnosis. The investigations that can be done to help in diagnosing throat cancer are:
- Imagings like ultrasound, CT scan, x-ray, and MRI
- Tissue biopsy
- Endoscope
- Laryngoscope
Later, if a diagnosis of throat cancer is confirmed, staging will be done. Staging is specifically done for cancer to determine the right treatment and to know the chances of recovery or also known as prognosis. The available treatments for throat cancer are:
- Surgery
- Chemotherapy
- Radiotherapy
- Targeted therapy
- Palliative care
Radiation therapy is a type of treatment in which a high beam of radiation is delivered towards the affected site to kill the cancer cells. Chemotherapy is a type of treatment using chemicals or specific medications in treating throat cancer. The types of surgery that can be done are laryngectomy, pharyngectomy, and neck dissection. Palliative care is focusing on maximum symptoms control and relief for terminally ill patients with minimal chance of recovery. The aim of palliative care is not to cure but to provide comfort.
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