One of the most common cancers is throat cancer, which, according to WHO statistics, causes 10,000 people to suffer every year, and 4000 patients receive the most unfavorable prognosis. In order not to lose time, it is important to know what signs of throat cancer are characteristic.
Causes of Larynx Cancer
Doctors find it difficult to name the exact cause of the cancer of the throat, however, it has already been possible to find out the factors that affect the onset of the tumor. So, most often signs of throat cancer begin to notice:
- Smokers and people who abuse alcohol;
- workers who systematically inhale asbestos or coal dust; evaporation of tar, benzene;
- patients with papilloma virus;
- people with weakened immunity .
Less common signs of throat cancer are recorded in women - a tumor, as a rule, affects men 40 - 60 years.
It is also believed that malignant formations can be provoked by non-compliance with the basic hygiene of the oral cavity and ingesting too hot or overcooked food in a hot form.
Not to be confused with sore throat!
Due to the fact that the first signs of a throat cancer are very similar to the symptoms of laryngitis and angina, a correct diagnosis is put in late, and precious time for treatment is lost.
If within a few weeks or months, despite the diligent treatment, sore throat, hoarseness and cough do not go away, you should undergo a test that will detect or exclude oncology.
There are several stages of the throat cancer, the signs and symptoms of which differ slightly in this or that period of the disease:
- Precancerous - the tumor did not give metastases, did not spread to the lymph nodes.
- Degree 1 - pharynx or larynx is already affected by the tumor.
- Degree 2 - the tumor expanded, spreading to neighboring organs. Lymph nodes are affected by single metastases.
- Degree 3 - the neoplasm grows to an even larger size, adjacent tissues and organs are affected, there is a significant amount of ulceration and metastases.
- Degree 4 - metastases are observed even in distant organs.
The tumor begins to grow in one of the three sections of the larynx - sublingus (3% of cases), ligamentous (32%), over the ligament (65%) - then spreading to all departments.
How to recognize laryngeal cancer?
At the initial stages of the disease, signs of throat cancer are presented:
- pain in the throat, which can give in the ear;
- change in the tone of voice, the appearance of hoarseness (sometimes the voice disappears completely);
- painful sensations when swallowing saliva and food;
- sensation of a foreign body in the throat;
- shortness of breath.
Further course of the disease leads to:
- hemoptysis, sputum discharge;
- constant pain in the throat;
- obstruction of passage through the esophagus of food;
- pain in the ears;
- putrid odor from the mouth;
- swollen lymph nodes and swelling of the neck;
- non-vanishing or paroxysmal cough.
These signs of a cancer of a throat and a larynx in some cases are accompanied by sharp loss of weight.
Diagnosis and prognosis
To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor resorts to laryngoscopy - examination of the laryngeal cavity with the help of an optical laryngoscope or
To determine how far the tumor process has spread, computer tomography is being carried out.
Treatment involves surgical removal of the tumor in combination with radiation therapy. If signs of throat cancer were fixed in stages 1 through 2, urgent treatment provides a five-year survival rate in 75 to 90%, with stage 3 this is less - 63-67%.