1. When Cancer Has You By the Throat
Many cancers of the head and neck are found in the throat. The lower region of the throat is called the hypopharynx, the part of the esophagus where food passes out of the throat and into the chest. Though less common that upper throat cancer, this area is the site of hypopharyngeal cancer. Changes in the squamous cells (thin, flat cells) that line the larynx and hypopharynx lead to this cancer. Symptoms of this cancer include a lump in the neck, soreness in the throat, ear pain, difficulty swallowing and a change in one's voice.
2. No Smoking Please
Most of the time, the changes in the squamous cells lining the hypopharynx are linked to the exposure of these cells to outside influences that prompt this change. The biggest culprit is tobacco. Both smoking and chewing tobacco can result in hypopharyngeal cancer (among other types of cancer) and is the leading cause of this disease. Drinking alcohol and a poor diet can also have the same effect. In some cases, having Plummer-Vinson syndrome, an iron deficiency disorder marked by the growth of web-like membranes in the throat, can be a precursor to hypopharyngeal cancer.
3. As Hypopharyngeal Cancer Grows
Like most cancers, hypopharyngeal cancer evolves in stages. In stages 0 through II, the tumor is 2 cm or smaller and is located only in the hypopharynx. In stage III, the tumor can have grown as large as 4 cm, and the cancer has spread to a single lymph node. Stage IV is broken down into subsets A, B and C and are marked by a tumor of any size and cancer that has spread into surrounding structures like the thyroid or esophagus. In Stage IV-C, the cancer has spread beyond the throat area and into other parts of the body.
4. Poking and Prodding to a Grim Diagnosis
Besides feeling for swollen lymph nodes, a doctor who suspects hypopharyngeal cancer will likely perform an endoscopy, wherein a thin tube is inserted through the mouth to look into the throat. A biopsy of any tumor located during this procedure will be taken and lab-tested. An X-ray of the head and neck, including a barium x-ray of the esophagus, as well as a CT scan or MRI are further tests that will be conducted to determine the size and other characteristics of the tumor.
5. Treatment and Prognosis Not Always Easy to Swallow
Unfortunately, the prognosis for hypopharyngeal cancer is usually poor, particularly because the disease is in advanced stages before a patient seeks medical attention (due to lack of apparent symptoms). Treatment varies according to the stage of the disease. If caught in early stages, treatment might include surgical removal of the larynx (laryngopharyngectomy) and any affected lymph nodes, followed by radiation therapy. In later stages, radiation is combined with chemotherapy.
