Cancer is a disease in which an uncontrolled proliferation of degenerated cells destroys healthy tissue. Cancer is the leading cause of death after cardiovascular disease. Throat cancer is the most common of all Cancers. Let’s find out What Are The Symptoms Of Throat Cancer?
Throat cancer (laryngeal carcinoma) is the most common type of cancer in the throat and mainly affects men. With timely diagnosis and therapy, the prognosis is quite favorable in comparison with other cancers. Five years after diagnosis, 60 percent of the people affected live.
The first symptoms of larynx cancer are mostly uncharacteristic. The disease often begins with a sore throat and hoarseness in the throat. These atypical symptoms contribute to the fact that throat cancers are sometimes discovered late. Without an early diagnosis, however, there is a risk of a severe course, which can be associated with loss of voice or death.
Smoking and alcohol consumption are considered the most important causes of larynx cancer. Airborne pollutants can also favor the tumor. Throat cancer is treated by a combination of surgery and subsequent chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Symptoms of throat cancer
The symptoms of throat cancer sometimes develop slowly over a period of weeks or months. The first noticeable signs include a sore throat, hoarseness, or a foreign body sensation in the throat (including the urge to clear the throat). Later, swallowing difficulties and shortness of breath, as well as a rough voice, appears.
If these symptoms persist for more than two weeks without a recognizable harmless cause, they should be examined urgently. An ENT doctor can easily rule out possible throat cancer.
Forms of throat cancer
The symptoms of throat cancer vary slightly depending on the area of the throat where the tumor begins. The most common form is the glottic tumor. The symptoms of this tumor usually start early. The glottis is the area of the larynx with the vocal cords. The epiglottis lies above the vocal cords. Throat cancer can also begin in these areas. Then the symptoms are usually less pronounced than with the glottic tumor. The entire larynx area is affected in a very rare transglottic throat tumor. The symptoms then range from hoarseness to loss of voice to shortness of breath.
Stages of laryngeal cancer
Medical professionals distinguish the course of larynx cancer in a variety of stages. The most critical stages are:
l T1: The tumor does not yet affect the mobility of the vocal folds.
l T2: The tumor limits the movement of the vocal folds.
l T3: The tumor has not yet spread beyond the larynx, but the vocal cords cannot move.
l T4: The tumor has also scattered other structures in the mouth, throat, and throat (thyroid, trachea, neck)
l N1 to N3: Other tumors (metastases) have formed in the lymphatic system.
l M1: Cancer has spread to other internal organs.
Causes of Throat Cancer
The causes of throat cancer are not clearly understood. But there are very plausible and statistically demonstrable causes. The relationship is most evident in smokers and people with alcohol addiction or critical alcohol consumption. Other risk factors include pollutants in the air we breathe. It is not about fine dust pollution or the like, but about contaminants in the workplace. Typical examples of this are arsenic, asbestos, chromium, and nickel.
Early throat cancer surgery
In the early stages, it is often possible to operate throat cancer very gently. These minimally invasive surgical procedures are performed through the mouth. The tumor is removed layer by layer using a scalpel or a laser. Usually, the procedure includes removing a part of the throat; however, in most cases, the functionality of the throat remains intact. It means that after the operation, patients can breathe and speak normally.
Laryngectomy
A gentle intervention is often no longer possible in the case of poorly located or advanced tumors. Then part or all of the larynx must be removed. Doctors call this a laryngectomy. Laryngectomy always means loss of sense of smell and natural voice. Under particularly unfavorable circumstances, the ability to breathe normally through the mouth or nose is lost.
Chemotherapy and radiation therapy
The need for chemotherapy or radiation therapy depends, among other things, on whether a larynx tumor has, for example, infiltrated the lymph channels or whether metastases have formed in other tissues. In the case of very small and early diagnosed larynx tumors, radiation therapy can be enough to eliminate cancer.
Any Cancer cannot be safely prevented, and this also applies to throat cancer. However, the risks can be significantly reduced by not smoking and moderate consumption of alcohol. Knowing The Symptoms Of Throat Cancer minimizes the risk of illness as a whole.