Cancer - throat or larynx

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Throat anatomy

Oropharynx

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Cancer - throat or larynx

Alternative Names:

Vocal cord cancer; Throat cancer; Laryngeal cancer; Cancer of the glottis

Symptoms:

Hoarseness that does not resolve in 1 to 2 weeks
Sore throat that does not resolve in 1 to 2 weeks, even with antibiotics
Neck pain
Difficulty swallowing
Swelling in the neck
Unintentional weight loss
Cough
Coughing up blood
Abnormal (high-pitched) breathing sounds

Signs and tests:

An examination of the neck and throat may show cancer of the throat. The sputum may appear bloody. A lump may appear on the outside of the neck. A laryngoscopy, which is examination by use of a tube with a small lighted camera (laryngoscope), allows the physician to look into the mouth and down the throat to see the tumor.

A neck or cranial CT scan or cranial MRI may show throat cancer. These tests will also help determine if the cancer has spread to lymph nodes in the neck.

Biopsy and analysis of tissues that appear abnormal may confirm the presence of a cancerous tumor.

Review Date: 5/3/2006
Reviewed By: William Matsui, MD, Assistant Professor of Oncology, Division of Hematologic Malignancies, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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