Intro
Oropharyngeal cancer is a disease which malignant cells form
in the tissue of Oropharynx. Oropharynx is a middle part of the throat which
includes the base of the Tongue, Tonsils, Palates (Soft and Hard) and walls of
Pharynx. Oropharyngeal cancers can be divided into two types, HPV-positive,
which are related to human papillomavirus infection, and HPV-negative cancers,
which are usually linked to alcohol or tobacco use.
Symptoms
Following are the possible signs of
oropharyngeal cancer
- A sore throat that persists
- Pain or difficulty with swallowing
- Unexplained weight loss
- Voice changes
- Ear pain
- A lump in the back of the throat or mouth
- A lump in the neck
- A dull pain behind the sternum
- Cough
Risk factors
Following are the risk factors that
can increase the risk of developing oropharyngeal cancer.
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- Smoking and chewing tobacco.
- Heavy alcohol use.
- A diet low in fruits and vegetables.
- Chewing betel quid, a stimulant commonly used in parts of Asia.
- Being infected with human papilloma virus (HPV).
- EBV infection.
- Plummer-Vinson syndrome.
- Poor nutrition.
- P53 mutation
CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH MALIGNANT
TRANSFORMATION
High-risk lesions
- Erythroplakia
- speckled Erythroplakia
- Chronic hyperplastic candidiasis
Medium- risk lesions.
- oral submucosal fibrosis
- syphilitic glossitis
- sideropenic dysphagia (or paterson-kelly-brown syndrome)
low-risk lesions.
- oral lichen planus
- discoid lupus erythematosus
- discoid keratosis congenita.
Prognosis
Those with HPV-positive cancers tend to have higher survival
rates. The prognosis for people with oropharyngeal cancer depends on the age
and health of the person and the stage of the disease. It is important for
people with oropharyngeal cancer to have follow-up exams for the rest of their
lives as cancer can occur in nearby areas. In addition, it is important to
eliminate risk factors such as smoking and drinking alcohol, which increase the
risk for second cancers.
Spread
There are three ways of cancer
spreading in the body.
- Cancer invades the surrounding normal tissues.
- Cancer invades the lymph system and travels through the lymph vessels to other places in the body.
- Cancer invades the veins and capillaries and travels through the blood to other places in the body.
