| Medical Dictionary |
A Medical Dictionary of Medical Terminology
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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 using tobacco 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:
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
Oral cancer is cancer of the mouth. It is a type of head and neck cancer. Most oral cancers are squamous cell cancers. They begin in the flat cells that cover the surfaces of your mouth, tongue, and lips. The cancer cells may spread into deeper tissue as the cancer grows.
Most oral cancers are related to tobacco use, heavy alcohol use, or an HPV infection.
Who is more likely to develop oral cancer?Anyone can get oral cancer, but you are more likely to develop it if you:
The symptoms of oral cancer may include:
If you have any of these symptoms for more than two weeks, see your health care provider or dentist. Oral cancer can spread quickly, so it's important to find it early.
How is oral cancer diagnosed?To find out if you have oral cancer, your provider may use:
The treatments for oral cancer include surgery, radiation therapy, or both. After surgery, some people also need chemotherapy to kill any cancer cells that are left.
Can oral cancer be prevented?There are steps you can take to help prevent oral cancer:
NIH: National Cancer Institute
A biopsy is a procedure that removes cells or tissue from your body. A doctor called a pathologist looks at the cells or tissue under a microscope to check for damage or disease. The pathologist may also do other tests on it.
Biopsies can be done on all parts of the body. In most cases, a biopsy is the only test that can tell for sure if a suspicious area is cancer. But biopsies are performed for many other reasons too.
There are different types of biopsies. A needle biopsy removes tissue with a needle passed through your skin to the site of the problem. Other kinds of biopsies may require surgery.
Head and neck cancer is the name for cancers that develop in the mouth, nose and sinuses, salivary glands, and throat and voice box (larynx). Most head and neck cancers are squamous cell cancers. They begin in the moist tissues that line the head and neck. The cancer cells may spread into deeper tissue as the cancer grows.
There are other cancers that develop in the head and neck, such as brain cancer, eye cancer, and esophageal cancer. But they are usually not considered to be head and neck cancers, because those types of cancer and their treatments are different.
Who is more likely to develop head and neck cancer?Anyone can get head and neck cancer, but you are more likely to develop it if you:
The symptoms of head and neck cancer may include:
Other possible symptoms can depend on the specific type of head and neck cancer.
How is head and neck cancer diagnosed?Which exams and tests used to diagnose head and neck cancer can depend on the specific type of cancer. Possible exams and tests may include:
The treatment for head and neck cancer will depend on the specific type of cancer, the stage (how advanced the cancer is), your overall health, and other factors. The treatment options might include:
In some cases, you may need a combination of treatments. Sometimes surgery can affect how well you can chew, swallow, or talk. Rehabilitation, such as physical therapy, dietary counseling, and speech therapy, may help.
Can head and neck cancer be prevented?There are steps you can take to help prevent head and neck cancer:
NIH: National Cancer Institute
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a group of related viruses. They can cause warts on different parts of your body. There are more than 200 types. About 40 of them are spread through direct sexual contact with someone who has the virus. They can also spread through other intimate, skin-to-skin contact. Some of these types can cause cancer.
There are two categories of sexually transmitted HPV. Low-risk HPV can cause warts on or around your genitals, anus, mouth, or throat. High-risk HPV can cause various cancers:
Most HPV infections go away on their own and don't cause cancer. But sometimes the infections last longer. When a high-risk HPV infection lasts for many years, it can lead to cell changes. If these changes are not treated, they may get worse over time and become cancer.
Who is at risk for HPV infections?HPV infections are very common. Nearly all sexually active people are infected with HPV soon after they become sexually active.
What are the symptoms of HPV infections?Some people develop warts from certain low-risk HPV infections, but the other types (including the high-risk types) have no symptoms.
If a high-risk HPV infection lasts for many years and causes cell changes, you may have symptoms. You may also have symptoms if those cell changes develop into cancer. Which symptoms you have depends on which part of the body is affected.
How are HPV infections diagnosed?Health care providers can usually diagnose warts by looking at them.
For women, there are cervical cancer screening tests which can find changes in the cervix that might lead to cancer. As part of the screening, women may have Pap tests, HPV tests , or both.
What are the treatments for HPV infections?An HPV infection itself cannot be treated. There are medicines that you can apply to a wart. If they don't work, your health care provide could freeze, burn, or surgically remove it.
There are treatments for the cell changes caused by infection with high-risk HPV. They include medicines that you apply to the area that is affected and various surgical procedures.
People who have HPV-related cancers usually get the same types of treatment as people who have cancers that are not caused by HPV. An exception to this is for people who have certain oral and throat cancers. They may have different treatment options.
Can HPV infections be prevented?Correct usage of latex condoms greatly reduces, but does not completely eliminate, the risk of catching or spreading HPV. If your or your partner is allergic to latex, you can use polyurethane condoms. The most reliable way to avoid infection is to not have anal, vaginal, or oral sex.
Vaccines can protect against several types of HPV, including some that can cause cancer. The vaccines provide the most protection when people get them before they are exposed to the virus. This means that it is best for people to get them before they become sexually active.
NIH: National Cancer Institute
Your mouth is one of the most important parts of your body. It has many different functions. It allows you to:
Any problem that affects your mouth can make it hard to eat, drink, or even smile. Some common mouth problems include:
Treatment for mouth disorders varies, depending on the problem. If a mouth problem is caused by some other disease, treating that disease can help. It is also important to keep your mouth clean and healthy by brushing, flossing, and not using tobacco.
Your throat is a tube that carries food to your esophagus and air to your windpipe and larynx. The technical name for your throat is the pharynx.
Throat problems are common. You've probably had a sore throat. The cause is usually a viral infection, but other causes include allergies, infection with strep bacteria or the leaking of stomach acids back up into the esophagus, called GERD.
Other problems that affect the throat include:
Most throat problems are minor and go away on their own. Treatments, when needed, depend on the problem.