Table of contents:
- Definition
- What is throat cancer?
- How common is throat cancer?
- Signs & symptoms
- What are the signs and symptoms of throat cancer?
- When to see a doctor?
- Cause
- What causes throat cancer?
- Risk factors
- What increases the risk of throat cancer?
- Have a habit of smoking and drinking alcohol
- Poor diet
- Human infection papillomavirus (HPV)
- Genetic disorder syndrome
- Being exposed to various substances at work
- Increased age and male gender
- History of GERD
- Diagnosis & staging
- How is throat cancer diagnosed?
- What are the stages of throat cancer?
- Treatment
- How is throat cancer treated?
- Operation
- Chemotherapy
- Radiotherapy
- Home care
- What are some lifestyle changes or home remedies that can be done to treat throat cancer?
- Prevention
- How do you prevent throat cancer?
Definition
What is throat cancer?
Throat cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the throat (pharynx), vocal cords (larynx), and tonsils (tonsils). The throat is a muscular tube that runs behind the nose and ends at the neck.
The function of the throat itself is to ensure that the process of eating and breathing runs properly, so that you don't choke.
Then right behind them are the tonsils (tonsils), which function as part of the immune system and as an organ that prevents foreign objects from entering the lungs.
Just below the throat, there are vocal cords that function as sound producers and help smooth the process of breathing and swallowing.
Abnormal cells most commonly appear on the flat cells that line the inside of the throat. In addition, abnormal cells can also appear on the cartilage (epiglottis) which serves as a cover for the throat.
Although most throat cancers affect the same cell types, the terms are used differently. It depends on where the cancer cells first appeared. Therefore, throat cancer is divided into several types, including:
- Nasopharyngeal cancer: The abnormal cells start in the throat just behind the nose.
- Oropharyngeal cancer: The abnormal cells start in the throat just behind the mouth and cover the tonsils.
- Hypopharyngeal cancer (cancer of the laryngopharynx): The abnormal cells start in the hypopharynx, which is the lower part of the throat and above the esophagus.
- Glottic cancer: The abnormal cells start in the vocal cords.
- Supraglottic cancer: The abnormal cells originate from the top of the larynx and cartilage (epiglottis).
- Subglottic cancer: The abnormal cells start at the bottom of the vocal cords.
How common is throat cancer?
This cancer is a cancer that is quite common in Indonesian society. Quoted from the Globocan website in 2018, the most common types of throat cancer are nasopharyngeal cancer, laryngeal cancer (vocal cords), oropharyngeal cancer (cancer of the tonsils / tonsils), and oropharyngeal cancer.
Recorded, there are 17,992 new cases of nasopharyngeal cancer with a death rate of 11,204 people. Then, followed by new cases of laryngeal cancer as many as 3,188 people with 1,564 deaths.
Coupled with new cases of oropharyngeal cancer as many as 1,303 people and caused 626 deaths. Likewise with new cases of hypopharyngeal cancer, namely 229 new cases and 134 deaths.
Signs & symptoms
What are the signs and symptoms of throat cancer?
Detecting throat cancer at an early stage is quite difficult, given that some of the characteristics and symptoms sometimes resemble other diseases.
To make matters worse, you may think the symptoms are just a less serious illness. When in fact the condition you are experiencing may be a symptom of cancer.
For example, the symptoms of cancer of the tonsils (tonsils) are almost similar to strep throat (tonsillitis). Both, both cause symptoms of hoarseness and difficulty swallowing.
It's just that sore throat will heal with antibiotics. Unlike cancer that will not be cured with this treatment.
More specifically, the symptoms or characteristics of people with cancer of the throat, vocal cords, or tonsils are:
- Change in voice to be hoarse or unable to speak clearly.
- Difficulty swallowing food or drink.
- Continue to have a cough.
- Sore throat that doesn't go away.
- Unexplained weight loss.
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck.
- Ear pain.
There may be signs or symptoms of throat cancer that you feel but are not listed in the explanation above. This can happen because everyone's body is different in responding to a disturbance in the body.
When to see a doctor?
You should immediately see a doctor when experiencing the symptoms of throat cancer mentioned above. Especially if the symptoms do not improve for more than 2 weeks, even though you are taking general medication.
Cause
What causes throat cancer?
The cause of throat cancer is a mutation of DNA in cells. DNA itself contains instructions for cells to divide, grow, and die. When a mutation occurs, the order of the cells in it will be damaged, causing the cell to act abnormally.
Cells will continue to divide, continue not, and do not die. As a result, cells accumulate to form abnormal tissue which is known as a malignant tumor. These abnormal cells can turn into cancer over time.
However, it is not clear what causes DNA mutations in cells in the throat.
Risk factors
What increases the risk of throat cancer?
Researchers found various factors that can increase the risk of throat cancer, including:
Have a habit of smoking and drinking alcohol
One of the bad consequences of smoking or inhaling secondhand smoke is an increased risk of cancer in the throat. The risk is also increased in people who have a habit of drinking excessive alcohol.
The reason is because cigarettes and alcohol contain substances that are carcinogens, which can stimulate the body's cells to become abnormal.
Poor diet
Poor diet can affect nutritional intake. If nutritional needs are not met properly, you have a higher risk of developing this cancer.
Most likely this is closely related to a lack of intake of vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber which are important for body cells.
A 2009 study stated that drinking water that is too hot often can also increase the risk of this type of cancer, because temperatures that are too hot can cause cells to be injured and irritated.
Human infection papillomavirus (HPV)
HPV virus infection is a type of sexually transmitted infection. If you have contracted this virus, your chances of getting cancer of the larynx, tonsils, or other parts of the throat are getting bigger.
Genetic disorder syndrome
People who inherit gene defects from their parents are at higher risk of developing this cancer at a young age. For example, people with fanconi anemia (have blood problems and are at high risk for many types of cancer) and congenital dyskeratosis (a syndrome that causes aplastic anemia).
Being exposed to various substances at work
Long-term exposure to wood dust, paint fumes, and certain chemicals used in the metal, petroleum, plastics, and textile industries can increase the risk of cancer of the larynx, hypopharynx, and tonsils.
Increased age and male gender
Throat cancer develops over many years. Therefore, this disease is more common in people over 45 years of age. In addition, this cancer is also more common in men than women.
History of GERD
GERD is reflux of stomach acid that rises up into the esophagus. This condition often causes inflammation so that it can put a person at a high risk of developing this type of cancer. The reason is, excess stomach acid constantly irritates the lining that protects the throat.
Diagnosis & staging
The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.
How is throat cancer diagnosed?
To make a diagnosis of throat cancer, your doctor will ask you to do a series of medical tests, including:
- Physical test. The doctor will ask about the various symptoms experienced by you. Then, the doctor will also check for swelling in the neck as well as see the medical history of you and your family members.
- Endoscopy and laryngoscopy.This procedure is done to look at the inside of the throat in detail so that it can detect the location of the tumor and its size. The method uses an endoscope or laryngoscope.
- Biopsy. This procedure takes the cancerous tissue in your throat to be viewed in a laboratory under a microscope.
- Imaging test. This complementary health test can help see the condition of your throat, either with an MRI, ultrasound, CT scan, or PET scan.
What are the stages of throat cancer?
After the above health tests are carried out, the doctor can determine the stage of the cancer. The goal is to help doctors determine the right treatment. The following is an explanation of the staging (stage) of cancer in the throat and its spread:
- Stage 1: tumor measuring no more than 2 cm and has not spread to the lymph nodes.
- Stage 2: tumor measuring no more than 4 cm and has not reached the lymph nodes.
- Stage 3: tumor larger than 4 cm, has spread to the lymph nodes on the side of the neck. The tumor in the lymph nodes is not more than 3 cm.
- Stage 4: The tumor can be any size, but has spread to nearby tissue, such as the neck, thyroid, esophagus, or a large area such as the lungs.
Treatment
How is throat cancer treated?
Throat cancer can be cured in several ways, such as:
Operation
Surgery is the main cancer treatment that aims to remove cancer cells from the body. This medical procedure can be performed while an endoscopy is being performed.
However, there are also other operations that are recommended to treat this type of cancer, namely laryngectomy (removal of the vocal cords), pharyngectomy (removal of the pharynx), and thyroidectomy (removal of the thyroid) with cancer.
Chemotherapy
The next way to cure is chemotherapy, which is cancer treatment relying on drugs. In addition to killing cancer cells, prescription drugs can also help reduce tumor size.
Some chemotherapy drugs that can be used include:
- Cisplatin
- Carboplatin
- 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)
- Docetaxel (Taxotere®)
- Paclitaxel (Taxol®)
- Epirubicin
Radiotherapy
Another treatment is radiotherapy, which uses radiation rays to kill cancer cells.
This treatment is also recommended to minimize tumors in the throat. Your doctor may schedule radiotherapy before surgery, after surgery, or at the same time as chemotherapy.
Home care
What are some lifestyle changes or home remedies that can be done to treat throat cancer?
The adoption of a healthy lifestyle is part of the home remedies for throat cancer patients. This includes choosing a healthy nutritious diet, regular exercise, quitting smoking and drinking alcohol.
Research is looking at various natural plants or traditional medicines that may have potential as a cure for this type of cancer, such as grape seed extract.
Grape seed extract has the potential to damage the DNA of cancer cells in mice, without damaging healthy cells. Although it has potential, research is still limited because it has not been tested on humans, and there are no known further side effects.
Therefore, always consult further with your doctor if you want to use certain herbal medicines to treat your cancer.
Prevention
How do you prevent throat cancer?
There is no 100% way to prevent throat cancer. Even so, health experts recommend reducing various risks, such as:
- Stop smoking from now on and it's best to avoid crowds of people who are smoking. Also, limit your alcohol consumption. Consult more in this matter with your doctor, if you have trouble quitting the habit.
- Choose healthy and nutritious foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts. This row of foods contains antioxidants and vitamins that can protect cells from damage.
- Follow the HPV vaccine and practice healthy sexual activity, such as not changing partners and using condoms every time you have sex.
