Distinguish common throat and throat cancer

Throat cancer and pharyngitis all have the same symptoms as difficulty swallowing, sore throat or swelling in the neck. Sometimes people still confuse these two diseases. Learn the symptoms of each disease and how to distinguish them.

1. What is throat cancer?

Throat cancer is a type of malignant neoplasm that appears in the back of the throat, the throat or the " throat " . Nasopharyngeal cancer is different from other cancers when there is an appearance, cause, behavior and treatment. Some millions of common throat cancer symptoms and symptoms are:

  1. Change the voice
  2. Difficulty in swallowing
  3. Weight loss
  4. Sore throat
  5. Often hoarseness to be able to pronounce clearly.
  6. Swelling in the neck area.
  7. Wheeze.
  8. Pain in the ear.
  9. Raucous.

Men are more at risk of throat cancer than women. Unhealthy habits and lifestyles can increase the risk of throat cancer. Risk factors include: Smoking, alcohol testing, poor nutrition, asbestos dust, poor hygiene, due to genes .

Throat cancer is also related to some other types of cancer, for example, many patients are diagnosed with throat cancer and also have lung or bladder cancer at the same time. It is possible that these cancers have the same number of risk factors.

Picture 1 of Distinguish common throat and throat cancer
Symptoms of throat cancer are very similar to sore throats.

2. What is sore throat?

About 13 million people go to the hospital every year because of a sore throat . Most sore throats are caused by infections, or risk factors from the environment such as air. Although sore throats can be uncomfortable, most of the disease usually resolves.

Symptoms of sore throat include: Itching. Burning. So cold. The body is weak. Swelling of the throat area. Patients may experience pain when swallowing or talking. The throat or tonsils may swell red .

In addition to the typical symptoms, the patient may have other symptoms such as nasal congestion. Runny nose. Cough. Sneezing. Fever. Chills. Swelling up in the neck. Change the voice. The whole body ached. Headache. Difficulty swallowing. Not eating well .

Viruses are the leading cause of sore throat (influenza virus) . Rarely, bacteria can also cause disease.

3. Distinguish throat and throat cancer Picture 2 of Distinguish common throat and throat cancer

Picture 3 of Distinguish common throat and throat cancer
Symptoms of strep throat usually go away within 2 weeks.

It is difficult to distinguish throat cancer and sore throat because the symptoms are very similar. But in throat cancer there are a few differences such as rapid weight loss but also very faint. However, the biggest difference is the time to prolong symptoms . If the symptoms continue to last for 2 weeks, it is best to see a doctor for the most accurate results.

An important note to know is that the early stage of throat cancer has very faint symptoms and is difficult to detect. Symptoms only manifest when the disease has reached a more severe stage and the patient's quality of life will be greatly reduced. The best way to detect early disease is to go for cancer screening at least twice a year.

Whether sore throat or throat cancer affects your health and quality of life greatly. Changing a healthy lifestyle, exercising regularly and building a scientific diet are ways to protect your health from surrounding diseases.