Many people may experience unpleasant symptoms associated with the throat, manifested in the form of pain, perspiration, hoarseness, difficulty swallowing, and the like. In most situations, these manifestations are the usual signs of colds, which are caused by viruses and bacteria. But in the event that such signals are observed for a long time and also do not pass, then those may indicate a more dangerous problem - oncology of the throat.
Description of the disease
Malignant tumors in this area, fortunately, are not among the common pathologies. But this disease can not be called very rare. It occurs in approximately four percent of cancer patients. As a rule, it all starts with a small tumor, which is located in a layer of epithelial tissue lining the surface of the pharynx or larynx.
Most often, these formations affect the nasopharynx. Such localization is especially dangerous, since the tumor can grow into the air cavity of the skull. Gradually, the formation increases in size, affecting the surrounding tissue. Ultimately, with oncology of the throat, lymph nodes can be affected and metastases form in other parts of the body. In most situations, patients die from massive bleeding from blood vessels affected by the neoplasm or from blood aspiration.
A tumor can affect different parts of the larynx. The ligamentous sector, in turn, is affected particularly often (two thirds of cases). In addition, rapid tumor development with early metastasis is characteristic of this localization. The ligamentous area is affected in about a third of cases. Usually, with such localization, the formation develops rather slowly, which makes it possible to detect it in time and begin the necessary treatment.
Ligamentous localization is not common, it is characteristic of only three percent of cases. Due to its location, this type of cancer is extremely dangerous and differs in development. Among all examples of throat oncology, localization of the pathology in the larynx occurs in fifty-five percent of cases, the rest of the development of the disease occurs in the throat.
Causes of the disease
Unlike many other oncological diseases, this one has a clear dependence on certain factors. And in the first place among them is smoking. In fact, it can be stated that throat cancer is a disease of heavy smokers. More than eighty-five percent of patients with this disease suffer from this addiction.
What are other causes of throat cancer? The second important provocateur is gender. The disease in question is a male disease. About ninety-five percent of patients are men over the age of fifty. In women, such a pathology is rare, but this does not mean that ladies, especially smokers, have no chance of getting this disease. Throat cancer is also rare in young people, and old age is another negative factor. Other provocateurs contributing to the disease in question include:
- Inhalation of toxic fumes.
- Implementation of work with hazardous chemicals (we are talking about the chemical industry, the production of paint materials and the like).
- The wrong diet, combined with a lot of salty foods and smoked meats, as well as a shortage of fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Alcohol abuse along with poor oral hygiene.
- Hereditary factor and infectious mononucleosis.
- The presence of a tumor of the head, neck, as well as radiation exposure.
Among other things, the likelihood of developing this disease is increased by the following pathological processes and formations in the larynx:
- The presence of chronic untreated airway inflammation in the form of laryngitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis.
- The appearance of chronic diseases of the teeth and gums.
- The presence of cysts, fibromas, scars, papillomas, pachydermia of the larynx and so on.
Statistics show that throat oncology is much more likely to affect people who live in large cities. This proves that the onset of the disease is influenced by the environmental situation as well.
Symptoms
It is worth noting that this disease in severe form does not manifest itself immediately, but can develop over many months, and sometimes even years. Unfortunately, people very often do not notice unpleasant symptoms on time, turning to doctors for help when the disease goes into its incurable form. Meanwhile, the symptoms of throat cancer in the early stages are quite recognizable. An exception to this rule is the zero stage (precancerous condition), in the presence of which a pathological change in the tissues does not manifest itself in any way and can only be detected within the framework of a random diagnostic study of the respiratory system.
So, the symptoms of throat cancer in the early stages are as follows: a person is usually bothered by pain, pain or perspiration, and a dry cough. As a rule, these manifestations are taken by the patient for the symptoms of a cold. However, unlike otolaryngology, these signs are constantly observed and do not pass after some time, but only intensify. It is important to emphasize that the pain in a throat tumor after taking a painkiller does not disappear, and coughing after specialized drugs also does not go away.
Signs of oncology of the throat are important to recognize in a timely manner. Since the disease is mainly affected by smokers, cough is usually taken as a side effect of a bad habit. At first, it can be episodic, although later it becomes permanent. The presence of subfebrile temperature, anemia, numbness of the face, intradermal hemorrhage, swelling of the lymph nodes under the jaw or neck may be observed.
In the process of further development of the disease, other symptoms also appear in the form of hoarseness of the voice (which can be explained by damage to the ligaments), deterioration in taste, sensation of a foreign body, difficulty in swallowing, bleeding, and the like. Large tumors can interfere with the breathing process, and in patients with this, shortness of breath appears.
How is oncology of the throat manifested? Severe pains in the head, neck, along with impaired sleep and hearing, traces of blood, pus from the nose, which have an unpleasant odor are likely. In addition, patients lose their appetite and weight. The state of health quickly worsens, irritability occurs. The tumor becomes noticeable from the outside due to the appearance of swelling on the neck. In the most severe cases, patients lose the ability to close or open their mouths. This symptomatology indicates a neglected disease. Unfortunately, only at this stage most patients turn to the doctor. The symptoms of throat cancer in women are described in more detail below.
Tumor location and symptom
Depending on the location of the tumor, the symptoms of the disease may vary. With its presence in the oropharynx and nasopharynx, angina-like pain, bleeding from the tonsils and nose, a feeling of congestion, tooth loss and an increase in submandibular lymph nodes are the most characteristic. The following symptoms are often manifested within the framework of supernatant localization: a foreign body sensation along with tickling and pain when swallowing. Voice changes occur only in the later stages of throat oncology.
Symptoms of localization in the area of ligaments: pain during a conversation, a change in voice or its complete loss. These manifestations can demonstrate themselves at the earliest stages. With a ligamentous arrangement, pain is often observed during the passage of food lumps, and shortness of breath with shortness of breath is also present. Change of voice joins only at a later date.
Fourth stage
As part of the characteristics of the oncological disease in question, doctors use stages. Different stages of the disease correspond to certain manifestations. In addition, for certain periods, specific treatment methods can be applied. There are four stages in total, and the prognosis for recovery worsens as cancer develops.
Of course, the fourth stage is the most dangerous. When it comes to this stage, patients experience a loss of voice along with severe pain when swallowing and talking. Germination occurs in the surrounding tissue, the lymph nodes are affected, and metastasis is aggravated. Many people wonder how much live with throat cancer grade 4?
The prognosis of survival in this case (over five years) is, as a rule, only twenty-five percent. The rate of development of the disease directly depends on the age of the patient. In younger patients, a transient manifestation of symptoms is observed.
Find out what kind of analysis should be passed to oncology?
Diagnostics
In order to diagnose the disease in question, different methods can be used. Not always a visual examination of patients by an otolaryngologist can identify the disease, especially at an early stage. In this regard, primarily instrumental research options are used. The simplest of these is laryngoscopy. This technique consists in examining the surface of the laryngeal mucosa using a special mirror and a lamp.
How to examine the throat for oncology, the doctor must tell. Of great importance in the framework of identifying a disease and conducting its differentiation from other pathological processes, especially inflammatory ones, is a biopsy. This technique consists in taking a piece of tissue for analysis from the affected area. Also, in order to identify the scale of pathological processes, diagnostic methods are used in the form of MRI and radiography, which make it possible to establish the presence of metastases, as well as determining the size of the tumor and its shape.
What analysis should be passed to oncology?
The analyzes include a certain set of studies, whose main task is to conduct differential diagnosis with other pathologies and detect tumors at an early stage. The procedures are carried out as prescribed by the doctor. Typically, the following tests are required:
- Performing a detailed blood test and counting the leukocyte formula.
- Coagulogram surrender.
- Conducting a histological examination of biopsy material.
Therapies
The treatment strategy depends on the stage of the disease. At an early stage, the most effective treatment option is surgery to remove the tumor. It can be carried out by traditional methods or using a laser.
As part of the prevention of relapse or in preparation for surgery, the patient may be prescribed a course of chemotherapy. It should be borne in mind that in some cases, the vocal cords can be removed during the operation, and, in addition, the language (in whole or in part), which subsequently makes it difficult or impossible to speak along with eating.
In the later stages, surgery to remove may not be possible. In this regard, chemotherapy and radiation treatment are used. In the latter case, the tumor is irradiated with a stream of high-energy particles that kill cancer cells. The goal in this case may be the complete destruction of the pathological formation or its significant reduction, as well as a slowdown in growth. Sometimes radiation treatment precedes surgery.
Contraindications to radiation therapy are tumor invasion into the blood vessels and esophagus tissue, as well as the patient’s serious condition. With chemotherapy, cytostatic drugs are used that slow down the division of pathogenic cells. Cytostatics are administered intravenously, orally, intramuscularly or directly into the area affected by the tumor.
But, unfortunately, any treatment measures are likely to be ineffective if the patient does not get rid of the smoking habit. After the operation, a rehabilitation course will be required, which will include speech skills training. When, due to the large size of the formation, patients lose the ability to breathe, they are given a tracheostomy, during which a tube is inserted into the trachea.
Throat Oncology Survival
It is worth noting that not one expert can predict how a malignant tumor in the throat will behave: will it respond to treatment or will progress, even despite the treatment, is always in question. Specialists can only speculate what will happen to the patient based on clinical signs and general health. At the same time, one should not forget that each organism is individual; in this regard, all sorts of deviations from the predicted forecast can be observed. What is the survival rate for throat cancer?
Based on statistical data collected over several years, patients with the first stage of throat cancer live five years after being diagnosed in eighty-five percent of cases. And the five-year survival rate in patients with the fourth stage is only twenty percent. The determining factor may be laryngectomy, which is an operation aimed at removing the vocal cords. This surgical intervention, as a rule, prolongs life, stopping the subsequent spread of the tumor. But, as practice shows, not all patients give their consent to the implementation of such an operation.
Primary manifestations in women
The main symptoms of throat cancer in women initially are different from those in men. Signs, as a rule, are:
- The development of a violation of speech functions in the form of a change in the voice, which becomes especially noticeable with loud speech.
- The occurrence of causeless cough.
- The presence of headaches.
- Presence of pain when swallowing food or saliva.
Symptoms in women, appearing at the initial stage, require immediate medical attention. It is worth noting that the five-year survival in patients with complex treatment at the zero stage is from ninety-six to one hundred percent, then this figure decreases.
The use of chemotherapy
In the presence of throat cancer, chemistry can be used in two modes:
- Before surgery or radiation treatment to reduce the size of the tumor.
- After surgery or a course of radiation therapy to destroy the remaining cancer cells.
The patient receives medications, as a rule, systemically. If they enter the bloodstream, they can affect the tissues and organs of the patient, which can lead to adverse reactions. Those with chemotherapy are determined by the nature of the drug used, as well as its dosage. Usually the following problems have a place:
- Suppression of hematopoiesis. This is accompanied by a decrease in the number of white blood cells, that is, those cells that are responsible for the fight against infectious damage. This can cause the development of an infectious complication.
- Hair loss. The fact is that epithelial cells are especially sensitive to the effects of chemotherapeutic drugs. This leads to loss. After the cessation of therapy, the hair grows again, but there is a change in their texture, exactly like the color.
- Violation of the digestive system. Changes in appetite, along with vomiting, diarrhea, and ulcers on the lips and mouth.
Power Features
It is important to organize proper nutrition in throat oncology in order to avoid exhaustion and help the body fight pathology. Products must be thermally and mechanically well processed so as to be quickly absorbed and not injure the pharynx. It is advisable to eat well-ground food, in small portions, at least five times a day. Products recommended for a throat oncology diet are as follows:
- The use of mucous mashed soups cooked on lean meat broth.
- Cereals in the water.
- Boiled fish dishes that need to be chopped with a blender.
- Mashed mashed potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, cabbage, beets and so on.
Be sure to exclude from the diet:
- Any fried, smoked, salty foods.
- Canned food seasonings and spices.
- Food that is rich in carbohydrates is about flour products, cakes, pastries, sugar and so on.
Folk remedies
Everyone wants to find the best cure for oncology of the throat. Unfortunately, such remedies cannot be cured by folk remedies. But at the same time, doctors agree that various herbs should be included in the treatment program as additional ways to combat such a serious disease. For this, the following recipes are actively used:
- Mallow. This infusion is taken orally. In a liter of boiling water for one day, two teaspoons of dried flowers are insisted, then the finished infusion is drunk 150 milliliters twice a day.
- Calamus root. In equal proportions, it is mixed with yarrow. A spoon of dried flowers is poured with a glass of boiled water, then the agent is infused until it cools. The finished medicine is drunk for twenty-four hours.
- Garlic is known for its antiparasitic property. Twice a day for five days, you must take eleven drops of garlic juice, which is done on an empty stomach. The next five days, take twenty drops.
- Celandine. As part of this recipe, five tablespoons of dried flower are infused in a liter of boiling water. The resulting infusion is drunk on the attraction of the day, the volume of liquid used should be at least 2 liters. Cancer cells are destroyed by toxins in the celandine, while the tool is completely safe for human health.
Prevention
Prevention will help prevent the development of the tumor, the appearance of complications. For this purpose it is necessary:
- follow the principles of good nutrition (it is preferable to eat fruits, vegetables, cereals, dairy products);
- limit consumption of spicy, salty, fried;
- get rid of bad habits;
- adhere to an active lifestyle (walk in the fresh air, perform simple physical exercises);
- avoid contact with typical carcinogens, use special protective elements;
- constantly observe the rules of hygienic care of the larynx, oral cavity;
- Regular preventive examinations can protect against cancer and its complications (this will help to identify an ailment in the early stages with high accuracy and allow early and very successful treatment to begin).
Thus, according to statistics, the described disease is more prone to men. Pathology is very serious, therefore, requires an integrated approach using recognized, as well as alternative medicine.