Throat cancer

Throat cancer or oral cancer refers to cancers in the upper digestive tract and airway. They include oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx cancers. The majority of these cancers are due to alcohol and smoking, but an increasing number is associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) that also causes cancer of the uterine cervix.

The most common symptoms of throat cancer are voice change, persistant throat or ear pain, difficulty swallowing, a neck mass, a non-healing ulcer, weight loss and bleeding.

A complete head and neck exam will usually reveal these cancers, but sometimes specialized imaging is necessary like scans. A biopsy proves the diagnosis. The treatment of these cancers is either surgical, or with radiation therapy. We sometimes add chemotherapy to the treatment regimen.

Our ENT specialists will be able to screen you for throat cancer.