Health Topics for Cancer

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Throat cancer

Throat cancer is the growth of abnormal cells in the throat. Another name for the throat is the pharynx. The pharynx is the hollow tube that starts behind the tongue and connects to the tube going to the stomach (esophagus). The risk for throat cancer is greater for males, and increases with age. Alcohol use, smoking, and chewing tobacco greatly increase the risk of throat cancer. In throat cancer, tumors are often found on the tonsils and at the base of the tongue.

Symptoms include:

• painful or difficult swallowing
• change of voice
• hoarseness
• earache
• sometimes obstruction of the airway and
• persistent feeling of something in the throat

People with this cancer often wait too long to seek treatment. Half do not seek medical evaluation until their disease has spread either locally or to the glands in the neck.

Several tests may be performed to diagnose the presence of cancer. One test, an endoscopy uses a thin-lighted flexible instrument to evaluate the extent of the tumor. A suspected throat cancer must be confirmed by removing a small piece of tissue (biopsy). This tissue is sent to the laboratory for evaluation and diagnosis.

If throat cancer is diagnosed, treatment may include:

• surgery to remove the cancer
• chemotherapy to kill the cancer cells by using drugs or
• radiation therapy to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors by x-rays or other high-energy rays

If you are a smoker, quitting is the best way to reduce your risk of developing throat cancer.

Consult the UI Health Care Cancer Information Service for more information about this topic.

Last Reviewed 2005

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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