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Common symptoms of throat cancer

Throat cancer

Throat consists of the cavity from the arch of the palate to the glottis and the opening of the esophagus in the anterior portion of the neck. It contains pharynx and the fauces. Continuous intake of high concentrations of alcohol was known to kill many of the cells lining the mouth and throat. When used with cigarettes, it generated as much as thirty fold increase in risk of mouth and throat cancer. Throat cancer may cause no symptoms at first but few symptoms are observed at later stages.

Maximum major throat cancers arise in cells that line the mucous membrane of the throat. As the cancer proliferates, it penetrates through the mucous membrane and muscle layers into surrounding tissues. From there the cancer spreads to the lymph nodes in the neck, then to the lungs and other organs. The growing tumor may metastasize to other vital organs too. Cancers of the lower throat and and nasopharynx located behind the nose often spread early, before they cause obvious problems. Cancers directly behind the mouth and behind the nostrils or oropharynx generally stay in that location but will eventually spread unless successfully treated. It develops from localized tumor in the mouth or throat to widespread cancer.

Following are the throat cancer symptoms at later stage:

1. Cold-like symptoms

Throat cancer begins with cold-like symptoms and recurrent cough.

2. Effects on ears, tongue and other sensations

The growing tumor may hinder hearing, taste, smell, swallowing or speech and causes bad smell from the mouth.

3. Hemoptysis

It may produce symptoms of blood traces in the phlegm. This may usually scare the patients. Patients are advised to visit the oncologist as soon as such alarming signs are noticed.

4. Timbre of voice

Throat cancer may lead to other symptoms such as ear pain and hoarseness of voice.

5. Pain and difficulty while swallowing

Moreover, inflamed neck lymph nodes result in irritating cough, sore throat and pain or difficulty while swallowing.

6. Effects on hearing and olfaction

There may be characteristic indications like mild hearing loss, nasal blockage or nosebleeds, ringing in the ears or tinnitus and/or symptoms of pain or pressure in the middle ear.

7. Persistent sore throat

Apart from these symptoms, there could also be a ulcer in the mouth that doesn’t heal or a persistent one that increases in the size.

8. Continuous pain and palpable lump

Continuous pain in the mouth with swellings and masses inside the mouth accompanied with facial palsy.

9. Weight loss and difficulty in breathing

There could be unexplained weight loss and breathing problems.

10. Headache and pain in the teeth

It may also give a feeling that something is choking in the throat; discomfort around the teeth or mobility in teeth; loss of taste sensation from the tongue or numbness elsewhere in the mouth and swelling of the jaw.

Many a times, throat cancers are not detected until they are far advanced. When detected early, squamous cell cancer can almost always be successfully treated.

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