Throat cancer is one of many head and neck cancers. The throat is a hollow tube about 5 inches long that starts behind the nose and roof of the mouth then merges into the windpipe and becomes the esophagus further down the neck.
The majority of throat cancers are related to tobacco and/or excessive alcohol exposure. However, in 25% of cases, cancer of the throat is not associated with any known risk factor. Recent research has raised the possibility of a connection between viral infection by the human papilloma virus (HPV) and cancer of the mouth and throat.
Treatment for patients with throat cancer is extremely variable and depends largely on the stage of disease. Surgery or radiation therapy is highly effective in the treatment of most early stage cancers. However, the advanced stages of cancer that involve lymph nodes in the neck are more difficult to treat. More than 70% of patients with throat cancer have advanced cancers at the time of initial diagnosis.
Because many throat cancers are already advanced at the time of diagnosis, it is highly recommended that patients be carefully evaluated in medical centers that treat many patients with throat cancer. Patients with throat cancer require a multidisciplinary team approach that is often only available at specialty medical centers.
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