Throat cancer
Throat cancer is cancer that develops from the throat tissue. The main symptoms are voice changes, difficulty swallowing and sore throat.
The throat is a channel to drain air from the nose to the lungs and vice versa. The throat canal is located from the back of the nose to the vocal cords. Throat cancer can develop from the tissue that forms these organs, such as tonsils or vocal cords. This type of cancer is more common among smokers and drug addicts.
Symptoms of throat cancer
Symptoms of throat cancer include:
When to see a doctor
Seek medical attention immediately if you experience the above symptoms, especially if the symptoms do not improve or worsen. Symptoms of throat cancer may be similar to other respiratory diseases, especially in the early stages. Throat cancer that is diagnosed early is easier to treat than end-stage throat cancer.
HPV infection is a risk factor for throat cancer. If you are at risk of contracting HPV, for example if you have dangerous sexual behavior, consult your doctor about the need for an HPV vaccine.
Someone needs to maintain oral health. In addition to preventing the onset of dental disease, maintaining healthy teeth can also reduce the risk of throat cancer. Therefore, you should brush your teeth regularly and have your teeth checked by a dentist every 6 months.
If you have been diagnosed with throat cancer, you should see a doctor regularly during treatment. After treatment is complete, you also need to see your doctor regularly so that if the disease recurs, it can be detected more quickly.
Causes of throat cancer
Throat cancer is caused by changes or mutations in genes in throat cells. This mutation triggers the growth of abnormal cells that are not controlled.
The cause of the mutation process is not known with certainty, but it is estimated that a number of factors increase the risk of throat cancer in a person, namely:
At the beginning of the diagnosis, the doctor will ask questions about the patient's symptoms and medical history, as well as his habits that can affect or trigger the onset, such as smoking and drinking. The doctor will also do a physical examination.
If the patient is suspected of having throat cancer, the doctor will recommend a more detailed examination to confirm the diagnosis. This type of control includes:
After the patient undergoes throat cancer examination, the doctor can determine the stage of throat cancer that the patient experiences. The stage of cancer is important to know that the treatment given is appropriate and effective.
Based on the severity and spread, throat cancer can be divided into 5 stages, namely:
Throat cancer treatment
Treatment for throat cancer depends on the stage of the cancer and the general health of the patient. Early detection and treatment is the key to fighting throat cancer.
Here are some common methods for treating throat cancer:
radiotherapy
Radiation therapy is a method of treating cancer using high energy rays to kill cancer cells. Radiation radiation can come from external devices (external radiotherapy) or can be installed in the body near the cancer (internal radiotherapy).
If the cancer is still in its infancy, radiation therapy is sometimes quite effective to cure it. While in advanced cancer, radiation therapy is only used to reduce symptoms and slow the progression of cancer.
chemotherapy
Chemotherapy involves administering drugs to kill cancer cells. Some types of drugs commonly used in chemotherapy are cisplatin, paclitaxel, gemcitabine, capecitabine, fluorouracil or carboplatin.
Chemotherapy can be associated with radiation therapy. This is done because there are several types of chemotherapy drugs that are most effective when accompanied by radiation therapy. However, this can also increase the side effects of both treatments.
operation
Surgery is a method of treating throat cancer by removing cancerous tissue. The ENT doctor will determine the type of surgery needed based on the stage and location of the cancerous growth. These types of operations include:
Not only through an open incision, surgical procedures to remove cancer cells can be done using an endoscope. This procedure is usually done when the cancer is still in its infancy.
In addition to removing cancerous tissue, surgery can also be done to remove the lymph nodes located near the location of the cancer, if the cancer cells have spread to the lymph nodes. If necessary, the tissue around the throat that has been attacked by cancer cells will also be removed.
Targeted drug therapy
Targeted drug therapy is achieved by using certain drugs to prevent gene modification or mutations. The drug used in the treatment of targeted drugs is cetuximab. This therapy can be given with chemotherapy.
Throat cancer treatment methods can cause various complications and side effects, such as interference with the ability to talk, eat or swallow. Before attending certain medical treatments, you must first talk to your doctor about all the risks.
To optimize the treatment of throat cancer, patients are also advised to adopt a healthy lifestyle, not smoking and not consuming alcohol.
In addition to reducing the effectiveness of treatment, smoking and alcohol can slow down the recovery process and increase the risk of recurrence of throat cancer.
Prevention of throat cancer
Throat cancer can be prevented by avoiding risk factors. Some steps to prevent throat cancer include:
The throat is a channel to drain air from the nose to the lungs and vice versa. The throat canal is located from the back of the nose to the vocal cords. Throat cancer can develop from the tissue that forms these organs, such as tonsils or vocal cords. This type of cancer is more common among smokers and drug addicts.
Symptoms of throat cancer include:
- Trouble swallowing
- hoarseness
- Speak pelo
- Chronic cough
- Sore throat
- Painful or buzzing ears
- Hump on the neck
- Drastic weight loss
When to see a doctor
Seek medical attention immediately if you experience the above symptoms, especially if the symptoms do not improve or worsen. Symptoms of throat cancer may be similar to other respiratory diseases, especially in the early stages. Throat cancer that is diagnosed early is easier to treat than end-stage throat cancer.
HPV infection is a risk factor for throat cancer. If you are at risk of contracting HPV, for example if you have dangerous sexual behavior, consult your doctor about the need for an HPV vaccine.
Someone needs to maintain oral health. In addition to preventing the onset of dental disease, maintaining healthy teeth can also reduce the risk of throat cancer. Therefore, you should brush your teeth regularly and have your teeth checked by a dentist every 6 months.
If you have been diagnosed with throat cancer, you should see a doctor regularly during treatment. After treatment is complete, you also need to see your doctor regularly so that if the disease recurs, it can be detected more quickly.
Causes of throat cancer
Throat cancer is caused by changes or mutations in genes in throat cells. This mutation triggers the growth of abnormal cells that are not controlled.
The cause of the mutation process is not known with certainty, but it is estimated that a number of factors increase the risk of throat cancer in a person, namely:
- Smoke.
- Alcohol addiction.
- Having an HPV infection (human papillomavirus) and stomach disease or GERD.
- Dental health that is not maintained.
- Eat less fruits and vegetables.
- Having a weakened immune system disease, for example due to HIV / AIDS, malnutrition or taking immune-suppressing drugs.
- Suffered from congenital diseases, such as Fanconi anemia or ataxia telangiectasia.
At the beginning of the diagnosis, the doctor will ask questions about the patient's symptoms and medical history, as well as his habits that can affect or trigger the onset, such as smoking and drinking. The doctor will also do a physical examination.
If the patient is suspected of having throat cancer, the doctor will recommend a more detailed examination to confirm the diagnosis. This type of control includes:
- Nasoendoscopie
- This examination is done by an ENT doctor to check the condition of the throat using a tool such as a pipe with a camera. An instrument called an endoscope will be inserted through the nose until it reaches the throat.
- Throat biopsy
- Biopsy examination is done by taking a sample of throat tissue and then examine it in the laboratory. Throat tissue samples are collected using an endoscope.
- scanning
- Analysis is used to determine the extent of spread of throat cancer. The scanning method can be X-ray, CT, MRI or PET.
After the patient undergoes throat cancer examination, the doctor can determine the stage of throat cancer that the patient experiences. The stage of cancer is important to know that the treatment given is appropriate and effective.
Based on the severity and spread, throat cancer can be divided into 5 stages, namely:
- Step 0
- Step 1
- Step 2
- Step 3
- Step 4
Throat cancer treatment
Treatment for throat cancer depends on the stage of the cancer and the general health of the patient. Early detection and treatment is the key to fighting throat cancer.
Here are some common methods for treating throat cancer:
radiotherapy
Radiation therapy is a method of treating cancer using high energy rays to kill cancer cells. Radiation radiation can come from external devices (external radiotherapy) or can be installed in the body near the cancer (internal radiotherapy).
If the cancer is still in its infancy, radiation therapy is sometimes quite effective to cure it. While in advanced cancer, radiation therapy is only used to reduce symptoms and slow the progression of cancer.
chemotherapy
Chemotherapy involves administering drugs to kill cancer cells. Some types of drugs commonly used in chemotherapy are cisplatin, paclitaxel, gemcitabine, capecitabine, fluorouracil or carboplatin.
Chemotherapy can be associated with radiation therapy. This is done because there are several types of chemotherapy drugs that are most effective when accompanied by radiation therapy. However, this can also increase the side effects of both treatments.
operation
Surgery is a method of treating throat cancer by removing cancerous tissue. The ENT doctor will determine the type of surgery needed based on the stage and location of the cancerous growth. These types of operations include:
- pharyngectomy
- This procedure is done to remove all or part of the cancer pharynx.
- laryngectomy
- This operation is done by removing all or part of the larynx (voice box) with cancer. Laryngectomy can be done in the treatment of early or advanced throat cancer.
Not only through an open incision, surgical procedures to remove cancer cells can be done using an endoscope. This procedure is usually done when the cancer is still in its infancy.
In addition to removing cancerous tissue, surgery can also be done to remove the lymph nodes located near the location of the cancer, if the cancer cells have spread to the lymph nodes. If necessary, the tissue around the throat that has been attacked by cancer cells will also be removed.
Targeted drug therapy
Targeted drug therapy is achieved by using certain drugs to prevent gene modification or mutations. The drug used in the treatment of targeted drugs is cetuximab. This therapy can be given with chemotherapy.
Throat cancer treatment methods can cause various complications and side effects, such as interference with the ability to talk, eat or swallow. Before attending certain medical treatments, you must first talk to your doctor about all the risks.
To optimize the treatment of throat cancer, patients are also advised to adopt a healthy lifestyle, not smoking and not consuming alcohol.
In addition to reducing the effectiveness of treatment, smoking and alcohol can slow down the recovery process and increase the risk of recurrence of throat cancer.
Prevention of throat cancer
Throat cancer can be prevented by avoiding risk factors. Some steps to prevent throat cancer include:
- Quit smoking.
- Stop or reduce the consumption of alcoholic beverages.
- Vaccinate HPV.
- Have safe sex to prevent HPV infection.
- Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
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