American Oral Cancer Clinic

What is throat cancer?

Some cancer specialists do not use the word “throat cancer” because it is categorized as cancer of the throat and mouth.  Many throat cancer diagnoses actually are a diagnosis of the base of the tongue.  A recent example of well-publicized throat cancer diagnosis is well-known actor Michael Douglas.  He announced in late August 2010 that he was diagnosed with “late stage IV throat cancer”. Oropharyngeal cancer can involve the base of the tongue, the tonsils and the area around the soft palate, and sometimes around the front and back walls of the throat.  We have touched on these topics in our Tongue Cancer section and it covers the following topics:

• Squamous Cell Cancer of the oral tongue
• Squamous Cell Cancer of the base of tongue

What causes throat cancer?

Throat cancer is often a result of long-term smoking and drinking.  However, sometimes-genetic factors can increase a person’s chances of developing this type of cancer.

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of throat cancer diagnosis reported.  Dr. Eza Cohen, a leading oncologist at the University of Chicago Medical Center showed that a strain of throat cancer has been linked to HPV, human papillary virus.  The connection between throat cancer and HPV is documented at the Health Science News website here.

What are the symptoms of throat cancer?

The best outcome for any type of cancer is early diagnosis. Throat cancer is no exception.

There are many symptoms of throat caner.

• lump in the throat
• difficulty swallowing
• hoarseness
• ear pain