Throat Cancer

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Living With
• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• Videos and Tutorials

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Reference Desk
• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Throat cancer is a type of head and neck cancer. Throat cancer has different names, depending on which part of the throat is affected. The different parts of your throat are called the oropharynx, the hypopharynx, the nasopharynx, and the larynx, or voice box.

The main risk factors for throat cancer are tobacco use and heavy drinking. Certain types of throat cancer also have other risk factors. For example, having HPV is a risk factor for oropharyngeal cancer.

Symptoms of throat cancer may include:

• A sore throat that does not go away
• A lump in the neck
• Pain or ringing in the ears
• Trouble swallowing
• Ear pain

To diagnose throat cancers, doctors may do a physical exam and history, imaging tests, and a biopsy. You may also need other tests, depending on the type of cancer. Treatments include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Treatment for some types of throat cancer may also include targeted therapy. Targeted therapy uses drugs or other substances that attack specific cancer cells with less harm to normal cells.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Start Here

• Throat Cancer (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• What Are Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancers? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Can Laryngeal and Hypopharyngeal Cancers Be Found Early? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
• Can Nasopharyngeal Cancer Be Found Early? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Can Laryngeal and Hypopharyngeal Cancers Be Prevented? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
• Can Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancers Be Prevented? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Treatment Options for Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancer by Stage (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Living With

• Living as a Laryngeal or Hypopharyngeal Cancer Survivor (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
• Living as a Nasopharyngeal Cancer Survivor (American Cancer Society)
• Mouth Dryness or Thick Saliva (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Questions to Ask Your Doctor about Laryngeal or Hypopharyngeal Cancer (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• General Information about Laryngeal Cancer (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• General Information about Nasopharyngeal Cancer (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• General Information about Oropharyngeal Cancer (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• HPV and Oropharyngeal Cancer (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
• Hypopharyngeal Cancer Treatment (Adult) (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Videos and Tutorials

• Cancer of the throat or larynx (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

• Cancer of the Larynx (National Cancer Institute)
• Cancer Stat Facts: Cancer of the Oral Cavity and Pharynx (National Cancer Institute)
• Key Statistics about Laryngeal and Hypopharyngeal Cancers (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
• Key Statistics for Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancers (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
• What's New in Laryngeal and Hypopharyngeal Cancer Research and Treatment? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Laryngeal Neoplasms (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Oropharyngeal Neoplasms (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Pharyngeal Neoplasms (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Second primary cancers in patients with a pharyngeal index tumour: a...
• Article: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis and neoplasms of the mouth and pharynx: a...
• Article: Association of Non-Tobacco Products (NTP) with Oral, Esophageal, and Pharyngeal Cancer...
• Throat Cancer -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• Dictionary of Cancer Terms (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Find an Expert

• American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery
• American Cancer Society
• Choosing a Cancer Doctor (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
• Find an ENT (American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery)
• National Cancer Institute Also in Spanish
• NCI - Designated Cancer Centers (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Organizations that Offer Cancer Support Services (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Children

• Childhood Laryngeal Tumors Treatment (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• Childhood Nasopharyngeal Cancer Treatment (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Laryngectomy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Swallowing problems (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Throat or larynx cancer (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish