Ways to manage throat cancer

Throat cancer occurs when normal cells in the throat change to abnormal cells and start to grow out of control. The region of the throat can be described as starting from the base of the tongue to the area of the voice box. Dr Nurudeen Olakunle Iyanda, a Consultant Otorhinolaryngologist and Head, Department of Ear, […]

Throat cancer occurs when normal cells in the throat change to abnormal cells and start to grow out of control. The region of the throat can be described as starting from the base of the tongue to the area of the voice box.

Dr Nurudeen Olakunle Iyanda, a Consultant Otorhinolaryngologist and Head, Department of Ear, Nose and Throat, Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, said the causes of throat cancer are multifactorial due to complex interactions between genetic predisposition, environmental factors and exposure to viral infections.

Other causes, he listed, include cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, viral infections and exposure to ionising radiation among others.

The medical consultant further said the symptoms of throat cancer may include, mouth sores or mouth bleeding, difficulty in swallowing, voice change, neck lump, earache or ringing in the ear and long-lasting cough.

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According to him, the complications that may arise from throat cancer may include weight loss, loss of voice, hearing loss, breathing difficulty, recurrence and death. He added that the dangers and implications are more or less the complications or sequelae that may arise from throat cancer.

To prevent it, Dr Iyanda said one of the fundamentals is “the persistence of any of the symptoms mentioned above should prompt seeking medical attention immediately because prevention is better than cure.” 

He said the treatment of throat cancer involves surgery to remove part of the throat affected by cancer or to obtain a tissue specimen for laboratory test (histology), chemotherapy which is the use of injections/medicines that kill cancer cells or stop them from growing, and radiotherapy which is the use of radiation to kill cancer cells.

He said “Cancers generally are on the increase now in Nigeria. This may probably be due to lifestyle changes (increased use of weed, substance abuse, cigarette smoking, alcohol intake including sachet gin and others) and changes in diets (increased consumption of artificial/processed meals as against natural foods). 

 “If anyone notices the persistence of any clinical symptoms or signs, he or she should seek immediate medical attention”, he added.

Dr Iyanda, said his experience with throat cancer patients had been instructive. But there is one particular case he would not forget in a hurry. He said so far, that remains his worst experience with a patient which eventually led to death.

According to him, the patient presented early with stage 1 cancer but defaulted in the treatment along the line despite having the financial capacity only to come back with a worst-case scenario that led to death.

  “At stage 1, we offered the patient treatment options that would probably cure the cancer. 

 “The patient was financially capable of undergoing treatment but defaulted on follow-ups only for the patient to present again at the emergency department after about a year with complications (Carotid artery blow-out) – massive bleeding from the neck and eventually leading to death”, he told our correspondent.

 “Other equally symptomatic situation that should prompt attention is when an individual is having a long-lasting cough,” he said.