Throat Cancer Survival Rate

Every year nearly 24,000 people are diagnosed with throat cancer in the United States. Commonly known as cancer of the larynx, throat cancer affects the voice box and the surrounding tissues in the throat. Although actual causes of throat cancer are still unknown, it is mainly related to smoking along with alcohol abuse. Excessive use of tobacco (cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco or snuff) and alcoholic beverages are greatly associated with cancers of the mouth, throat, voice box and tongue. Other probable causes include long and acute exposures to wood dust, paint fumes, and certain chemicals employed in metalworking, petroleum, plastics, and textile industries. People suffering from vitamin A deficiency and infected with HPV (human papillomavirus) are also at a greater risk of acquiring throat cancer.

Throat Cancer Stages and Survival Rates

The throat, or pharynx, is a muscular tube the extends about 5 inches from the base of the neck to the back of the nose, underneath which is the voice box, or larynx. Both the pharynx and the larynx are susceptible to throat cancer and research shows nearly 50% of all throat cancers arise in the larynx. If the cancer develops in the vocal cords, symptoms of throat cancer are experienced early and speedy diagnosis can be made. This means that treatment can start instantly and the death rate for throat cancer remains low. However, if the cancer isn't on the vocal cords, it is difficult to diagnose and so the condition is more likely to be fatal, and throat cancer survival rate will be low.

Throat cancer survival rates primarily depend on the patient's overall health, age, the stage of the cancer and the grade of the tumor. The survival rates also rely upon the skills of the oncologists, the surgeon and the patient's response to the treatment provided. However, fortunately there are cases where people have survived all stages and all tumor grades. Hence, the survival rates also depend on the effectiveness of the treatment employed and the patient's willingness to comply with the available treatment options.

Stage	TNM	Description	5 Year Relative Survival Rates
0	Tis/N0/M0	Carcinoma in situ, i.e. in place, no tumor in regional lymph nodes, no distant metastases.	98%
I	T1/N0/M0	Tumor is less than 1 inch thick, with no evidence of regional lymph node involvement and distant metastases.	90%
II	T2/N0/M0	Tumor is between 1 inch and 2 inches in thickness, with no evidence of regional lymph node involvement and distant metastases.	75%
III	T3/N0/M0 T3/N1/M0	Tumor is more than 2 inches thick, with no evidence of regional lymph node involvement and distant metastases. Tumor is more than 2 inches thick and has spread to one lymph node.	60%
IV	Any T/Any N/M1	Tumor has spread to other tissues, such as the lips and mouth and has also spread to multiple lymph nodes on the same side or on the opposite side of the neck.	30%

T = Status of Primary tumor; N = Regional lymph nodes; M = Distant Metastases

Throat Cancer Symptoms and Treatment
During the early stages of throat cancer, the person may not experience any symptoms. However, some of the initial throat cancer symptoms include:

• Coughing up blood
• Enlarged lymph nodes in the neck
• Persistent cough and strep throat
• Hoarseness of the voice or a change in voice
• Wheezing/raspy breathing or difficulty in breathing
• Ear pain
• Pain or difficulty while swallowing
• Swelling or pain in the neck
• Sudden weight loss

Factors that mainly influence the choice of treatment are the site, grade, stage of the primary tumor and overall medical condition of the patient. There are mainly three types of treatment for throat cancer: chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery. Chemotherapy is used either to destroy cancer cells or stop them from proliferating. It is used prior to radiation therapy and surgery to shrink the tumor. In radiation therapy, the patient is exposed to high energy X-rays or other types of radiations to kill the cancerous cells. Surgery primarily involves removing part or all the larynx or part of the pharynx, where the cancerous cells proliferate.

Throat cancer is around 5 times more common in males than in females and is commonly detected in people between ages 55 to 65 years. However, early diagnosis and treatment can improve the throat cancer survival rates as the patients have better possibilities of surviving and undergoing less intrusive treatments.