Head and Neck Cancer

Throat Cancers

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Signs and Symptoms

Cancers that involve 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.

Symptoms of throat cancer may include:

• A sore throat that does not go away
• Cough
• Pain or difficulty swallowing
• Weight loss for no known reason
• Ear pain
• A lump in the back of the mouth, throat or neck
• Advanced tumors may invade the voice box, causing hoarseness or breathing difficulty
• Bleeding from the throat or blood-tinged sputum

Risk factors for developing throat cancer may include:

• Smoking tobacco
• Heavy alcohol use
• A diet low in fruits and vegetables
• Drinking maté, a stimulant drink common in South America
• Chewing betel quid, a stimulant commonly used in parts of Asia
• Being infected with human papillomavirus (HPV)

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.
Last updated April 23, 2008