There are different rules for throat cancer staging, including local and distant spread. Generally, cancer in the throat remains confined to a single area of the organ. If the cancer is a more severe form, it may spread to lymph nodes, distant parts of the body, or distant organs. Cancer in the throat that has spread to distant organs is called stage IV cancer. The most advanced cases of throat cancer have spread to distant parts of the body.
In terms of survival rate, laryngeal cancer has a five-year survival rate of 60.7 percent. The rate varies from person to person, but for glottis cancer, the survival rate is 83 percent. The statistics above are based on the years from 2011 to 2017 and do not guarantee the same outcome for every patient. However, some risk factors increase the risk of developing this disease. Smoking and high alcohol consumption are two risk factors.
Smoking is the leading cause of head and neck cancer. While HPV causes the majority of cases, it does not necessarily cause throat cancer. It is a risk factor for oral sex, which increases your risk for throat cancer. Smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke also increase your risk. As long as you do not smoke, you are unlikely to develop this disease. For your sake, avoid secondhand smoke if you want to reduce your chances of developing throat cancer.
There are various types of treatment available for throat cancer. However, there are many side effects associated with the different types of treatments available. If diagnosed early, these treatments are highly effective. In addition to getting a diagnosis early, quitting smoking and limiting alcohol consumption can significantly reduce your risk of developing this type of cancer. If detected early, treatment for throat cancer will be highly successful. Depending on the stage of the disease, it may take months or even years to spread.
Robotic surgery is becoming more common in the treatment of throat cancer. A recent study compared robotic surgery to radiation therapy to see if it was a safer treatment. Radiation therapy can cause side effects, including difficulty swallowing. Robotic surgery is performed with remotely controlled robotic surgical instruments that are placed inside the mouth. The early results suggest that robotic surgery for throat cancer causes fewer side effects and less swallowing problems compared to radiation therapy.
In the past, smoking was the number one cause of throat cancer, but in recent years certain types of human papillomavirus have replaced smoking as the leading cause. The human papillomavirus (HPV) group comprises about 200 viruses that are passed from person to person through oral, vaginal, and anal sex. HPV16 and HPV18 are the two most common types of HPV-related throat cancer. If you are at high risk for throat cancer, consider getting screened for HPV.
