Pharyngeal cancer is cancer developing in the pharynx or throat. The pharynx runs from the back of the nose and mouth to the voice box or larynx. According to the American Cancer Society, tobacco use is the single most important risk factor in the development of pharyngeal cancer.
The Mayo Clinic says that treatment options depend on the type of cancer, the location and extent of spread, the patient's health status and personal preferences.
Radiation Therapy
According to the Mayo Clinic, pharyngeal cancers are particularly responsive to radiation therapy, the use of high powered radiation to kill cancer cells or stop their spread. Thus, most people with pharyngeal cancer receive radiation therapy.
External beam radiation, with the source of radiation placed outside the body, or brachytherapy, internal radiation sources, are the approaches used in pharyngeal cancer radiation therapy.
Early pharyngeal cancer may require radiation therapy alone. Later stages usually require a combination of radiation therapy and chemotherapy, with or without surgery. More advanced cases of pharyngeal cancer receive radiation therapy as a palliative, to relieve symptoms and improve the quality of life of the patient.
Surgery
Early pharyngeal cancer may be completely cured by endoscopic surgery, cutting out the tumor or vaporizing it with a laser, with the aid of an endoscope.
More advanced cancers may require removing all or part of the pharynx, a process called pharyngectomy. When the entire pharynx is removed, according to the ACS, the larynx or voice box is usually removed with it. A reconstruction may be done to allow the process of swallowing to continue.
Lymph nodes in the neck are usually removed in cases of pharyngeal cancer to check for spread of the cancer.
In advanced cases where the cancer is blocking the pharynx, obstructing the process of breathing, a tracheostomy, an opening in the trachea, is done to bypass the obstruction. A tube, called a gastrostomy tube, can be inserted directly into the stomach in cases where there is obstruction of swallowing.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy, involving the use of drugs to kill cancer cells, is combined with radiation therapy in advanced cancers of the pharynx, or as the only treatment, where the patient wishes to retain the voice box and the ability to speak. According to the ACS, it is also used in terminal cases to relieve pain and discomfort.
Drugs used most often in pharyngeal cancer chemotherapy are cisplatin and 5-flourouracil, 5-FU. According to the ACS, the combination of these drugs appears to work better than either agent alone. Other drugs that may be used in diverse combinations include docetaxel, bleomycin, carboplatin, methotrexate and paclitaxel.
Targeted Therapy
The use of drugs targeted at cancer-specific structures and functions is called targeted therapy. The drug used in targeted therapy in cancer of the pharynx is cetuximab. It may be used alone or in combination with chemotherapy or radiation therapy, according to the ACS.
