Major Throat Cancer Symptoms

Cancer is a disease where cell mutations result in abnormal cells that divide and multiply in an uncontrolled manner throughout the body. Often this uncontrolled growth results in the malignant growths known as tumors. Throat cancer is a specific type of cancer that can affect the vocal cords, voice box, and other parts of the throat, including the oropharynx and tonsils. Throat cancer is typically categorized as either laryngeal or pharyngeal cancer. Compared to other cancers, throat cancer is considered to be relatively uncommon. Estimates put out by the National Cancer Institute suggest only 0.3 percent of individuals will be diagnosed with laryngeal cancer within their lifetime, while 1.2 percent will be diagnosed with pharyngeal or oral cavity cancer. Nevertheless, understanding the symptoms of throat cancer is important. Dive into the thick of it now.

Trouble Swallowing

The most common symptom is having trouble swallowing. This usually coincides with a sensation similar to food being stuck in the chest or throat, and it may even be mistaken for choking. In medical terms, this symptom is know as dysphagia, and it will often start mild but become progressively worse as time goes on and the esophagus gets smaller. It’s not uncommon for individuals to change their eating habits and diet without even realizing it as swallowing becomes more difficult. They’ll typically begin to chew their food much more slowly and carefully, and take smaller bites of food. As cancer continues to grow larger, the problem will likely worsen. The changes in eating habits often progress further as individuals start preferring soft foods that more easily make their way past the shrinking esophagus. Patients usually begin to avoid foods such as meat and bread, as it's easier for them to get stuck in the throat. Dysphagia may end up becoming so severe that the patient may opt to avoid solid foods entirely and make the switch to an all-liquid diet. As cancer continues to grow even liquids may begin to become difficult to swallow.

Reveal details on the next major symptom of throat cancer now.