Thursday, February, 09, 2012

Cancer - throat or larynx

Table of Contents

Alternative Names

Vocal cord cancer; Throat cancer; Laryngeal cancer; Cancer of the glottis


Symptoms
  • Abnormal (high-pitched) breathing sounds
  • Cough
  • Coughing up blood
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Hoarseness that does not get better in 1 - 2 weeks
  • Neck pain
  • Sore throat that does not get better in 1 - 2 weeks, even with antibiotics
  • Swelling or lumps in the neck
  • Unintentional weight loss

Signs and tests

The doctor will perform a physical exam. This may show a lump on the outside of the neck.

Tests may include:

  • Biopsy of suspected tumor
  • Chest x-ray
  • CT scan of chest
  • CT scan of head and neck

Review Date: 02/28/2011
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Seth Schwartz, MD, MPH, Otolaryngologist, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)