Throat Cancer Overview
Throat Cancer at a Glance
Throat cancer is a type of neck and head cancer and has various names, depending on which part of your throat is affected. The majority of throat cancers are squamous cell carcinoma. Squamous cells are flat, thin cells which line the throat. Carcinoma indicates cancer. This cancer develops in the vocal cords, larynx, or other areas of your throat.
Throat Cancer Cause
Factors which could boost one's risk of acquiring throat cancer range from chewing tobacco, smoking, drinking excessively to viral infections like Epstein-Barr virus and HPV.
Throat Cancer Symptoms & Signs
The symptoms and signs of throat cancer do vary due to the site of the tumor. Common symptoms of throat cancer might include:
- Trouble swallowing: throat cancer could cause pain or even burning sensation while chewing and swallowing food. You may feel as if food is sticking in the throat.
- Weight loss. Since throat cancer could make it painful to eat and harder to swallow, this can result in weight loss.
- Sore throat: discomfort or pain in your throat which persists.
- A lump in the throat: you might have a lump in your throat caused by an expanded lymph node. Cancer typically forms a lump which gradually grows larger.
- Voice changes: cancer in the throat could affect your voice. For example, your voice may sound different. It might be husky, quieter, or just sound as though you got a cold most of the time. You may also slur your words or experience difficulty pronouncing particular words.
Additional Throat Cancer Signs
- pain in throat
- nosebleeds
- headaches
- trouble moving your tongue
- trouble opening your mouth
- coughing up blood
- white patches on the tongue or the lining of the mouth which endures
