Even though it’s not very common, the throat cancer is a neoplasm that affects the larynx, pharynx and tonsils of the palate, basically the anatomical structures that make up the throat. Among the latest available data it is known that the disease normally affects the over 60s and men are most at risk with a ratio of four cases to one compared to women.
What are the symptoms
Without panicking, the initial symptomatology is the classic one that everyone, at least once in their life, has experienced: sore throat, hoarseness and difficulty swallowing. Other signs of the disease concern one strange pain in the ears, swollen lymph nodes and weight loss. It is clear that it is not necessary to carry out specific tests if these signals pass quickly as happens in the vast majority of cases when, for example, there is the classic seasonal flu. Conversely, if the problem persists for at least a couple of weeks and is particularly serious, you need to contact the specialists who will investigate with biopsy, endoscopy, laryngoscopy and diagnostic imaging. In the case of a hoarse voice, for example, the duration must be kept as an alarm bell for more than 2-4 weeks.
What are the causes
As with many other types of cancer, throat cancer is primarily due to genetic mutations that affect the cells of that area of the body which, even now, are still mostly unknown. Among the external risk factors, however, appear:
- tobacco abuse (from cigarettes to pipes)
- alcohol abuse
- papilloma virus
- diet with little fruit and vegetables
- old age
Experts also explain that those workers who have been in contact with toxic substances breathed in the air for years (thus those who work in factories and in some types of industries) are also more exposed to throat cancer. There are four stages of throat cancer:
- In the primothe neoplasm is reduced and metastases are not yet widespread;
- il second have a larger tumor but in a well-defined area;
- il third stage it can present spread metastases to other organs or can involve, for example, the entire larynx;
- il fourth and final stage highlights the most serious tumors that have already infected other organs than the throat.
The treatments available
To treat this cancer, the specialist must first understand what the patient’s situation is in order to make the best choice: this depends on the stage of the disease, the size of the tumor mass and the general state of health of the person who needs to be treated. In this sense, among the various treatments we have:
- radiotherapy;
- chemotherapy;
- targeted surgical treatments to remove tumors and any lymph nodes;
- laryngectomy (removal of the larynx);
- pharyngectomy (removal of the pharynx);
- targeted therapy (specific medicines);
- immunotherapy.