Throat Cancer Treatment
Throat cancer is the cancer of the throat; it is a type of head and neck cancer. The throat (pharynx) is a 5-inch-long tube that runs from your nose to your neck. The throat and the voice box are the two main places throat cancer forms.
Managing Throat Cancer
• Find it, as early as possible
• Confirm Diagnosis (radiology and pathology)
• Surgery (cut it out)
• Radiation (burn it)
• Chemotherapy (selective poisoning)
• Combine the above
Pre-procedure requirement
· Different methods are used to obtain tissue for a biopsy, depending on the location of the tumor. Some of the techniques are conventional incisional biopsy, fine-needle-aspiration biopsy (FNA) and Endoscopy.
- Imaging tests have to be done, which may include: CT or CAT scans, PET scans, MRI scans, Chest and dental X-rays.
- Set of X-rays of the esophagus and stomach may be used to look for cancer and find out how well you swallow.
- Laryngeal videostroboscopy is necessary that lets the doctor look at the larynx and see how well you swallow.
Strategy in Diagnosing Throat Cancer
• Determine exact location of throat cancer lesion
• Find out the extent of spread of throat cancer - local, regional and systemic
• Confirm throat cancer with the diagnosis with histo-pathological investigation like biopsy
• Ascertain the patient’s fitness to undergo treatment
Use a multi-modality approach if necessary to treat the disease, using:
1. Surgical removal of the diseased part of body
2. Loco-regional control of disease with radiation
3. Systemic control of disease with Chemotherapy
• Giving Patient the best quality of life possible with rehabilitation measures
• Regular monitoring for any recurrence of disease
Tests for Throat Cancer
• Patient’s general fitness
• Radiological investigations for determining the extent of disease and staging
• Biopsy is required for diagnosis
• Performed in operation theater with patient under anesthesia
• Other potentially required tests:
1. Direct laryngoscopy
2. Bronchoscopy
3. Esophagoscopy
4. Chest X-ray
5. CT or MRI
6. Liver function tests with or without US
Staging for Throat Cancer
Stae 1 and 2
Mild, usually curable. Radiation therapy followed by surgery if necessary
Stage 3
Chances the cancer has spread are high. Radiotherapy alongside chemotherapy. Surgery usually precedes radiotherapy, but not always.
Stage 4
Can be treated but not likely curable. Same treatment as Stage 3. mostly palliative.
Surgery and Side Effects in Throat Cancer
Throat Cancer Treatment in India
Throat cancer refers to cancerous tumors that develop in your throat (pharynx), voice box (larynx) or tonsils. Most throat cancers are squamous cell carcinomas. This means they develop in the squamous cells that line the throat. The main risk factors for throat cancer are smoking or using smokeless tobacco and use of alcohol. Symptoms of throat cancer are trouble breathing or speaking, frequent headaches, pain or ringing in the ears, trouble swallowing and ear pain. You can reduce your risk of throat cancer by not smoking, not chewing tobacco and limiting alcohol use.
The treatment will depend on the type of cancer and how far it has spread. Minimally invasive endoscopic surgery is a new technique that removes the whole tumor through the mouth, without incisions and little or no change in speech and swallowing.
Other procedures that can be employed are Transoral Laser Microsurgery (TLM), Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS) and Supracricoid Partial Laryngectomy.
Surgery for early stage throat cancer is bound to the throat surface or the vocal cords. There are surgeries to remove all or part of the voice box called Laryngectomy and Pharyngectomy to remove all or part of the throat. Surgery is the preferred treatment for early stage throat cancers. For advanced stage or recurrent throat cancer, we may combine surgery with other forms of treatment, such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
Please scan and email your medical reports to us at care@medworldindia.com and we shall get you a Free Medical Opinion from India’s Best Doctors.
Call Us : +91-9811058159
Mail Us : care@medworldindia.com
No comments:
Post a Comment