Throat Cancer Treatment In India

                             Throat Cancer Treatment In India

Throat cancer refers to cancerous tumors that develop in your throat (pharynx), voice box (larynx) or tonsils. Most throat cancers are squamous cell carcinomas. This means they develop in the squamous cells that line the throat. The main risk factors for throat cancer are smoking or using smokeless tobacco and use of alcohol. Symptoms of throat cancer are trouble breathing or speaking, frequent headaches, pain or ringing in the ears, trouble swallowing and ear pain. You can reduce your risk of throat cancer by not smoking, not chewing tobacco and limiting alcohol use.

Throat Cancer Pre-Procedure Requirement

• Different methods are used to obtain tissue for a biopsy, depending on the location of the tumor. Some of the techniques are conventional incisional biopsy, fine-needle-aspiration biopsy (FNA) and Endoscopy.
• Imaging tests have to be done, which may include: CT or CAT scans, PET scans, MRI scans, Chest and dental X-rays.
• Set of X-rays of the esophagus and stomach may be used to look for cancer and find out how well you swallow.
• Laryngeal videostroboscopy is necessary that lets the doctor look at the larynx and see how well you swallow.

Throat Cancer Surgery Procedure

The treatment will depend on the type of cancer and how far it has spread. Minimally invasive endoscopic surgery is a new technique that removes the whole tumor through the mouth, without incisions and little or no change in speech and swallowing.

Other procedures that can be employed are Transoral Laser Microsurgery (TLM), Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS) and Supracricoid Partial Laryngectomy.

Surgery for early stage throat cancer is bound to the throat surface or the vocal cords. There are surgeries to remove all or part of the voice box called Laryngectomy and Pharyngectomy to remove all or part of the throat. Surgery is the preferred treatment for early stage throat cancers. For advanced stage or recurrent throat cancer, we may combine surgery with other forms of treatment, such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Throat Cancer Post Procedure Advice

Throat cancer and its treatment can make it difficult to swallow, talk and breathe. Your health care provider will help you get back to normalcy at the earliest. Rehabilitation depends on the degree of the disease and kind of treatment. After surgery or radiation therapy, your health care adviser can teach you exercises that help loosen your stiff neck and shoulder muscles. You will have to go for regular checkups (such as every two months) to ensure that any changes in your health are noted and taken care of. Checkups may include a physical exam, blood tests, a chest x-ray, a CT scan, or an MRI. The cancer may return after the treatment. Hence, your doctor needs to track the return of the cancer. People who have had a history of throat cancer need to stop the intake of tobacco and alcohol to cut down the risk of a new cancer.

Throat Cancer FAQ's

• Q. What are the major contributing factors for throat cancers?
  The major causes are tobacco and alcohol use, including cigarettes, cigars, snuff, chewing tobacco and betel leaf. Other causes include: viruses (Herpes Simplex Virus and the human papilloma viruses), genetic predisposition and Radiation exposure (radium watch dial painting and thorotrast ingestion).
• Q. What are the risk factors for throat cancers?
  There are many risk factors for throat cancers, such as alcohol and tobacco use, are the biggest. But risk factors vary, depending on the type of cancer. It's important to note that any or all of the known risk factors does not mean that a person will certainly develop throat cancer. On the other hand, having no risk factors does not mean that a person cannot develop throat cancer.
• Q. What are the warning signs of throat cancers?
  Warning signs of throat cancers depend on the location of the cancer. Sometimes there are no warning signs. If you have any of the following symptoms for over two weeks, a visit to a physician is necesary:
  A sore or a lump on the lip or in the mouth or throat that does not heal
  A white or red patch on the gums, tongue or lining of the mouth
  Unusual bleeding, pain or numbness in the mouth
  A sore throat that does not go away
  Pain with chewing or swallowing
  Swelling of the jaw
  A change in the voice
  Ear pain in the
  Slurred speech
• Q. How will a physician make a diagnosis of throat cancer?
  If a physician suspects throat cancer, he or she will order specific diagnostic tests, depending upon the location of the cancer. These tests may include physical examination, inspection of oral and nasal cavities, blood tests, CT, PET, MRI imaging or X-rays and biopsy.
• Q. Besides surgery, how else are throat cancers treated?
  Throat cancers treatment options are specific to the patient, the kind and stage of cancer. Treatment often involves surgery, radiation (internal or external), chemotherapy or a combination of these.
• Q. What are the probabale side efects of throat cancer?
  The following is the list of side effects: 
  Tender mouth sores
  Dry mouth due to reduction of saliva
  Change in the way the voice sounds, weak voice
  Feeling of a lump in the throat
  Extreme fatigue
  Sensitive tongue and bitter taste
  Difficulty in swallowing
  Loss of appetite
  Nausea and vomiting
  Hair loss
• Q. What is throat cancer?
  Cancers on the throat, base of the tongue, tonsil, pharynx or tube that extends from the nasal passages to the mouth to the esophagus and sinus are called oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers.
• Q. What are the symptoms of throat cancer?
  A sore that does not heal
  Painless swelling in the neck or side of the face
  Nasal problems, such as bloody discharge, obstruction, or chronic sinus trouble
  Blood in saliva or phlegm for several days
  Pain when swallowing
  Decreased hearing or persistent earache
  Hoarseness or other voice change
• Q. How is throat cancer diagnosed?
  Throat cancer is difficult to diagnose early because many people only experience mild symptoms. It is important to see your physician especially if you are a smoker or drinker. Three-quarters of all oral cancers can be seen or felt in a physical examination by your physician. Along with physical examination, your physician also uses blood tests, imaging techniques such as x-rays and magnetic resonance (MRI), tomograms, arteriograms, endoscopy and biopsy to make an accurate diagnosis.
• Q. How can throat cancer be prevented?
  There are two simple ways to prevent throat cancer quit using tobacco products (cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco or snuff) and reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption. Although typically associated with lung cancer, tobacco is also the most common cause of cancerous oral lesions, and nicotine is most likely the culprit. The risk increased five-fold in those patients with six or more oral sexual partners compared with those who have not had oral sex.
• 
  Q. What are the symptoms of HPV-positive throat cancer?
  Symptoms include hoarseness, pain or difficulty swallowing, pain while chewing, a lump in the neck, a feeling of apersistent lump in the throat, change in voice, or non-healing sores on the neck. If you have any of these symptoms, speak with your doctor or visit the Ear, Nose, and Throat or Head and Neck Surgery Service Area to schedule an appointment.
• Q. If HPV is a sexually transmitted infection, are there other ways to contract the virus?
  Researchers are still evaluating the various ways HPV can be transmitted. There have been reports of HPV transmission through what is referred to as “deep french kissing.” It may also be possible for the virus to be transmitted to an infant through the infected mother’s cervical canal. Virus could also be transmitted by hand to mouth contact in the context of sexual activity.
• Q. When should I call my doctor?
  Call your doctor if you have the following symptoms:
  • Fever over 101° F after the surgery
  • Rising pain or swelling
  • Redness or tenderness
  • Numbness