Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypes of Throat CancerSymptomsCauses and Risk FactorsDiagnosisTreatmentFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types of Throat Cancer
Symptoms
Causes and Risk Factors
Diagnosis
Treatment
Frequently Asked Questions
Throat cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the throat. There are severaltypes of throat cancer, and cancer can occur in different structures within the neck.
In the United States, about 1 in every 60 men and 1 in every 140 women are expected to develop head and neck cancer during their life.The risks are lower for other kinds of throat cancer—lifetimelaryngeal cancerrisk is approximately 1 in 190 men and 1 in 830 women.Compared to their counterparts, men, people over age 55, and White people are more likely to get these cancers.The five-year survival rate is over 60%.
This article discusses the types, symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment of throat cancer.
There are two main parts of the throat: thepharynx(general throat) and thelarynx(voice box). Throat cancer can develop in either place.
Pharyngeal Cancer
Pharyngeal cancer is cancer of the pharynx. This is a hollow tube that connects thenasal cavityand the back of the mouth (oral cavity) to thetrachea(windpipe) andesophagus(the muscular tube that connects to the stomach).
Laryngeal Cancer
The larynx is on the front lower part of the throat. It contains thevocal cordsused for making sounds. Laryngeal cancers are named for the part of the larynx where they first grow. Laryngeal cancers may be identified as:
Symptoms of throat cancermay vary based on tumor location and type. Many symptoms are easy to ignore, especially if they aren’t causing severe distress. But it’s important to get medical attention if you develop any bothersome symptoms affecting your mouth or throat.
Common symptoms of throat cancer include:
Symptoms may come and go. “Persistent” doesn’t always mean constant. For example, you may have asore throatfor a week that goes away for a few days and then returns. If you experience intermittent or constant symptoms for two weeks or longer, you should make an appointment to see a healthcare professional. A delay in your diagnosis may affect your treatment outcome.
Smoking is a well-known cause of throat cancer. Smoking exposes your body to carcinogens, which are chemicals that cause cells in the body to become cancerous. Oral tobacco products also raise your risk for head and neck cancers.
Other risk factors and causes of throat cancer include:
Some of these factors can independently cause throat cancer, and can also work as cocarcinogens—which means that they increase the ability of carcinogens (like tobacco) to cause cancer. For example, alcohol enhances the ability of tobacco to cause cancer.
Your symptoms may prompt a throat cancer diagnosis. At your medical appointment, your healthcare provider will review your health history to determine whether you are at risk for throat cancer. If you are a smoker, drink alcohol, or have other habits that may be unfavorable to your health, it’s important to let them know.
During your physical exam, your provider will feel your throat and the area around it for lumps or other abnormalities. If you have signs of throat cancer, your healthcare provider may refer you to an otolaryngologist, also called an ENT (ear, nose, and throat) specialist.
Diagnostic Procedures and Staging
Your ENT may examine your throat with a procedure called laryngoscopy. During this procedure, a thin, fiber-optic scope (laryngoscope) is fed down the throat so the doctor can see the back of your throat, larynx, and vocal cords.
A tissue sample may be taken during your exam if any suspicious areas are discovered.This is called abiopsy, and it can be examined with a microscope to determine whether there are cancer cells in the sample.
Several factors are considered when a treatment plan is developed for throat cancer.
Some factors that guide treatment include:
There are multiple potential types of treatment for throat cancer, including:
What Does Throat Cancer Look Like?
Summary
Throat cancer can develop in any part of the pharynx or larynx. It is commonly linked to HPV, drinking alcohol, and smoking. However, it can occur even without these risk factors. If you experience any symptoms, be sure to see your healthcare provider. Treatments are available, and the majority of people survive at least five years.
A Word From Verywell
Any changes to your mouth, nose, or throat can be frightening, especially if you are suspecting cancer. There are excellent treatments for throat cancers, especially when caught early. Be sure your healthcare team—including your dentist—knows about your smoking, alcohol use, and other lifestyle choices that can increase your risk of cancer. See your providers regularly, and be sure to mention any symptoms or concerns.
Throat cancers, like other head and neck cancers, can grow quite rapidly.If you have symptoms or concerns, be sure to see your healthcare provider soon.
15 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Cancer Society.About oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer.American Cancer Society.Key statistics for laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers.American Cancer Society.Key Statistics for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers.National Cancer Institute.Cancer stat facts: Oral cavity and pharynx cancer.National Cancer Institute.Pharynx.American Cancer Society.Key statistics for nasopharyngeal cancer.American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of oral cancer and oropharyngeal cancer.National Cancer Institute.Oropharyngeal cancer treatment (Adult) (PDQ®)–Patient version.Gleeson M, Herbert A, Richards A.Management of lateral neck masses in adults.BMJ. 2000;320(7248):1521-1524. doi:10.1136/bmj.320.7248.1521American Cancer Society.Risk factors for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers.Freedman ND, Schatzkin A, Leitzmann MF, Hollenbeck AR, Abnet CC.Alcohol and head and neck cancer risk in a prospective study.Br J Cancer. 2007;96(9):1469-74. doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6603713Paul BC, Chen S, Sridharan S, Fang Y, Amin MR, Branski RC.Diagnostic accuracy of history, laryngoscopy, and stroboscopy.Laryngoscope. 2013;123(1):215-9. doi:10.1002/lary.23630Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.Throat cancer treatment.Yamazaki H, Suzuki G, Nakamura S, et al.Radiotherapy for laryngeal cancer-technical aspects and alternate fractionation.J Radiat Res. 2017;58(4):495-508. doi:10.1093/jrr/rrx023Dejaco D, Steinbichler T, Schartinger VH, et al.Specific growth rates calculated from CTs in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a retrospective study performed in Austria.BMJ Open. 2019;9(2):e025359. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2018-025359Additional ReadingAmerican Cancer Society.What Is Cancer?National Institutes of Health.Cancer - Throat or Larynx. Updated 28 Feb 2011.
15 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Cancer Society.About oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer.American Cancer Society.Key statistics for laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers.American Cancer Society.Key Statistics for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers.National Cancer Institute.Cancer stat facts: Oral cavity and pharynx cancer.National Cancer Institute.Pharynx.American Cancer Society.Key statistics for nasopharyngeal cancer.American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of oral cancer and oropharyngeal cancer.National Cancer Institute.Oropharyngeal cancer treatment (Adult) (PDQ®)–Patient version.Gleeson M, Herbert A, Richards A.Management of lateral neck masses in adults.BMJ. 2000;320(7248):1521-1524. doi:10.1136/bmj.320.7248.1521American Cancer Society.Risk factors for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers.Freedman ND, Schatzkin A, Leitzmann MF, Hollenbeck AR, Abnet CC.Alcohol and head and neck cancer risk in a prospective study.Br J Cancer. 2007;96(9):1469-74. doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6603713Paul BC, Chen S, Sridharan S, Fang Y, Amin MR, Branski RC.Diagnostic accuracy of history, laryngoscopy, and stroboscopy.Laryngoscope. 2013;123(1):215-9. doi:10.1002/lary.23630Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.Throat cancer treatment.Yamazaki H, Suzuki G, Nakamura S, et al.Radiotherapy for laryngeal cancer-technical aspects and alternate fractionation.J Radiat Res. 2017;58(4):495-508. doi:10.1093/jrr/rrx023Dejaco D, Steinbichler T, Schartinger VH, et al.Specific growth rates calculated from CTs in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a retrospective study performed in Austria.BMJ Open. 2019;9(2):e025359. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2018-025359Additional ReadingAmerican Cancer Society.What Is Cancer?National Institutes of Health.Cancer - Throat or Larynx. Updated 28 Feb 2011.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Cancer Society.About oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer.American Cancer Society.Key statistics for laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers.American Cancer Society.Key Statistics for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers.National Cancer Institute.Cancer stat facts: Oral cavity and pharynx cancer.National Cancer Institute.Pharynx.American Cancer Society.Key statistics for nasopharyngeal cancer.American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of oral cancer and oropharyngeal cancer.National Cancer Institute.Oropharyngeal cancer treatment (Adult) (PDQ®)–Patient version.Gleeson M, Herbert A, Richards A.Management of lateral neck masses in adults.BMJ. 2000;320(7248):1521-1524. doi:10.1136/bmj.320.7248.1521American Cancer Society.Risk factors for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers.Freedman ND, Schatzkin A, Leitzmann MF, Hollenbeck AR, Abnet CC.Alcohol and head and neck cancer risk in a prospective study.Br J Cancer. 2007;96(9):1469-74. doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6603713Paul BC, Chen S, Sridharan S, Fang Y, Amin MR, Branski RC.Diagnostic accuracy of history, laryngoscopy, and stroboscopy.Laryngoscope. 2013;123(1):215-9. doi:10.1002/lary.23630Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.Throat cancer treatment.Yamazaki H, Suzuki G, Nakamura S, et al.Radiotherapy for laryngeal cancer-technical aspects and alternate fractionation.J Radiat Res. 2017;58(4):495-508. doi:10.1093/jrr/rrx023Dejaco D, Steinbichler T, Schartinger VH, et al.Specific growth rates calculated from CTs in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a retrospective study performed in Austria.BMJ Open. 2019;9(2):e025359. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2018-025359
American Cancer Society.About oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer.
American Cancer Society.Key statistics for laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers.
American Cancer Society.Key Statistics for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers.
National Cancer Institute.Cancer stat facts: Oral cavity and pharynx cancer.
National Cancer Institute.Pharynx.
American Cancer Society.Key statistics for nasopharyngeal cancer.
American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of oral cancer and oropharyngeal cancer.
National Cancer Institute.Oropharyngeal cancer treatment (Adult) (PDQ®)–Patient version.
Gleeson M, Herbert A, Richards A.Management of lateral neck masses in adults.BMJ. 2000;320(7248):1521-1524. doi:10.1136/bmj.320.7248.1521
American Cancer Society.Risk factors for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers.
Freedman ND, Schatzkin A, Leitzmann MF, Hollenbeck AR, Abnet CC.Alcohol and head and neck cancer risk in a prospective study.Br J Cancer. 2007;96(9):1469-74. doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6603713
Paul BC, Chen S, Sridharan S, Fang Y, Amin MR, Branski RC.Diagnostic accuracy of history, laryngoscopy, and stroboscopy.Laryngoscope. 2013;123(1):215-9. doi:10.1002/lary.23630
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.Throat cancer treatment.
Yamazaki H, Suzuki G, Nakamura S, et al.Radiotherapy for laryngeal cancer-technical aspects and alternate fractionation.J Radiat Res. 2017;58(4):495-508. doi:10.1093/jrr/rrx023
Dejaco D, Steinbichler T, Schartinger VH, et al.Specific growth rates calculated from CTs in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a retrospective study performed in Austria.BMJ Open. 2019;9(2):e025359. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2018-025359
American Cancer Society.What Is Cancer?National Institutes of Health.Cancer - Throat or Larynx. Updated 28 Feb 2011.
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