Any malignant tumor that develops in the throat or voice box is referred to as throat cancer. The muscular pharynx, which extends from beyond your nose to the base of your neck, is your throat. Located directly beneath your throat is your larynx, or voice box. Speaking is made possible by vocal cords, which are composed of cartilage.
The voice box is where about half of throat malignancies begin, while the throat itself accounts for the other half. Usually, the flat cells that make up the lining of your throat are where cancer in the throat begins.
These illnesses frequently spread swiftly. You therefore have the best chance of beating cancer and maintaining a high quality of life if you receive treatment and a diagnosis as soon as possible.
Throat Cancer Symptoms
The fact that so many diseases have similar symptoms is one of the difficulties facing doctors. A simple sore throat or cough is usually not serious. They typically disappear on their own. However, occasionally they are signs of a more serious condition, such as cancer of the throat. If you have cancer of the throat, you could have:
- Vocal abnormalities such as hoarseness, cracking, or difficulty speaking clearly
- difficulty breathing, chewing, or swallowing
- a sensation of having something stuck in your throat
- a persistent earache, sore throat, or cough that may be bloody
- a headache
- ear or neck pain
- a persistent discomfort or lump in the neck
- Unexpected weight reduction
- tense jaw muscles
- bleeding in the throat or mouth
- Teeth that are loose
- smelly breath
- mouth or throat ulcers that refuse to go away
Stages of Throat Cancer
The cancer stage will be determined by your physician. This allows you to determine the extent of the cancer’s growth and whether it has migrated to other areas of your body. Your doctor will use the stage to assist determine the best course of treatment for you.
Phase 0. Your throat will have abnormal cells that have the potential to develop into cancer. Another name for stage 0 cancer is carcinoma in situ.
First Stage. It’s really early in the course of your cancer. It is contained in your throat and measures no more than two cm.
Stage II. Your tumor has not migrated to your lymph nodes and is between two and four centimeters in size.
Stage III: The cancer in your throat has grown to a size of more than 4 cm or it has invaded adjacent lymph nodes.
Stage IV. No matter how big your cancer is, it has already spread to other areas, such as Your mouth, jaw, esophagus, thyroid, trachea, neck, and/or other areas of big lymph nodes or those on the other side of your neck. Additionally, it could impact many lymph nodes.
When your throat cancer is first detected, it could be in any stage. Many times, throat cancer is not discovered until it has spread to one or more surrounding lymph nodes. Throat cancers in stages III and IV are more difficult to cure and have a higher chance of returning.
