Symptoms of the disease

• Unexplained changes in voice, hoarseness, hoarse voice.
• Increased volume of ganglions, painful or not.
• Sore throat persistent, swallowing painful or difficult.
• Pain in the ear area.
• Breathing difficult.
• Cough, sometimes with bleeding.
• Unexplained weight loss.

     Diagnostic

The doctor examines the throat and neck directly with a headlamp and completes the examination with an endoscopy, a flexible tube introduced through the nose and allowing the entire pharyngolarynx to be seen.

If there is an abnormality, he or she can perform a more complete examination under general anesthesia and take biopsies to determine whether or not there is a tumor and whether or not it is cancer. In this case, other radiological examinations may be necessary to look for the extension of the tumor and the involvement of other organs (metastases).

People at risk

Heredity does not play a role; the vast majority of throat cancers occur in men, but women who smoke or abuse alcohol are also affected.

Risk factors

The factors that increase the risk of cancer in the throat area are mostly external. Heredity, gender and age have virtually no influence.

Main factors

• Le tabagisme is by far the main risk factor, especially when combined with alcohol abuse.
• Abuse ofalcohol.
• Le human papillomavirus (HPV): it seems that a strain of HPV, transmitted during unprotected oral sex, can be at the origin of certain pharyngolaryngeal cancers, in particular in young non-smokers.
• Prolonged exposure toasbestos and certain other chemicals is also implicated in the occurrence of cancers.

Secondary factors

A unbalanced diet, a bad dental hygiene or the gastroesophageal reflux could promote the appearance of cancerous tumors by altering the mucous membranes