Throat cancer - etiology and symptomatology

Throat cancer is a widespread oncological disease, it is recorded in about six people per 100,000 population. More susceptible to this pathology are men aged 40 to 80 years. Compared to women, they are 20 times more likely to have throat cancer.

Throat cancer - causes

Physicians call several reasons that can cause throat cancer: the use of hot, spicy, salty foods (causes systematic irritation of the mucous membrane), alcohol abuse, heredity, smoking, exposure to chemical carcinogens, lack of basic oral hygiene, and the presence of chronic inflammatory Processes in the larynx. Substances that cause the formation of immature, atypical cells in the body are called carcinogens. To these bio-compounds include a variety of aromatics, metals, plastics, alcohols, phenols, aldehydes, some alkaloids (for example, nicotine) that can interact with the deoxyribonucleic acid of cells, causing their malignant degeneration. It should be said that not only chemicals, but also physical (ionizing radiation), hormonal (steroid hormones can cause breast cancer), biological (viruses) factors can provoke the formation of carcinogenic cells, we should not forget about the genetic predisposition of a particular person.

Precancer diseases specialists are divided into two groups. Obligatnye (diseases with a high frequency of malignancy) - papillomatosis and papilloma. The second group includes facultative diseases (with a low frequency of malignancy) - cyst, fibroma. In the development of these diseases an important role is played by endogenous bioregulators - hormones.

There are three forms of tumor growth: papillary, knotty, infiltrative. Tumors are classified according to their location on: tumor of the vocal fold, vestibular, lumbar. Statistics show that more than 95% of all malignant tumors of the larynx are represented by squamous cell carcinoma of the throat.

The cancer of the throat is characterized by the formation of a malignant tumor, which is localized in the tissues of the pharynx and larynx. Neoplasms in the pharynx and larynx are alike (morphology, clinic), so they are treated in one section. In the process of progression, malignant neoplasms germinate through the mucous membrane and affect the tissues of neighboring organs.

Since the neck area has a large number of blood and lymphatic vessels, this greatly complicates the treatment of the disease. The presence of abundant blood supply and a variety of lymphatic vessels and nodes creates favorable conditions for the development of cancer and the formation of metastases. The cancer of the throat, as a rule, is localized in the nasopharynx, oropharynx or in the laryngopharynx. Most often, a malignant tumor is recorded in the nasopharynx.

Many people are interested in the question: how does the cancer of the throat manifest ? The first signs of the formation of a cancerous tumor do not have clearly defined clinical symptoms, so they are easily confused with other diseases. Common symptoms include chronic pain in the larynx and ear, hearing impairment, hoarseness, headaches, blood in the saliva, the patient is hard to talk to, lymph nodes on the neck, bad breath, a feeling of pain when swallowing. At a visual examination of the oral cavity, tongues on the mucous membrane and in the tongue are detected. If this symptom is found, consult an experienced expert immediately.

At the heart of the treatment are three methods: surgical intervention, chemotherapy or radiation therapy. The last two methods are aimed at the destruction of undifferentiated cells. During a surgical operation, a malignant tumor and adjacent lymph nodes are removed.