One of the benefits of regular dental checkups is a comprehensive oral examination that includes screening for oral cancer. Your dentist thoroughly inspects your palate, cheeks, tongue, under your tongue, and the back of your mouth where your tonsils lie. Cancer can occur in any of these oral soft tissues, and early detection often affects the treatment and prognosis. One of these cancers has seen a recent sharp increase in occurrence: tonsil cancer. Continue reading to learn the early signs of this throat cancer.
To learn more about maintaining your oral health, schedule an appointment with Trident Dental.
What Is Tonsil Cancer?
Tonsils are the two glands at the back of your throat. They are part of the immune system that can help protect you from bacteria and viruses entering your mouth or nose. However, when cells in the tonsil tissue grow and multiply abnormally, they cause tonsil cancer. Tonsil cancer is the most common type of throat cancer.
How Common Is Tonsil Cancer?
Cancers of the mouth and throat account for 3% of all cancers diagnosed in the United States. In the past, most cases of tonsil cancer occurred in adults over age sixty. However, younger people are seeing the most significant increase in diagnoses today. In addition, men are more than twice as likely to develop tonsil cancer than women. According to the American Cancer Society, the risk for a man is 1 in 60. For women, the risk is 1 in 140.
What Causes Tonsil Cancer?
Researchers in the past thought alcohol use and tobacco were the primary causes of tonsil cancer. More recently, there has been a surge in the tonsil cancer rate in people who do not drink alcohol or smoke. Although smoking and alcohol remain major risk factors, others include
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Viruses that compromise the immune system.
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Organ transplants.
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Exposure to some strains of the human papillomavirus.
10 Tonsil Cancer’s Early Signs
There are several signs and symptoms of tonsil cancer, including:
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Difficulty swallowing.
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Tonsils are not the same size.
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A sore throat that will not heal.
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Blood in the saliva.
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A throat ulcer that will not resolve.
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Ear pain.
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A feeling of a lump in the throat.
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Persistent bad breath.
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Pain in the neck.
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Jaw stiffness.
How Is Tonsil Cancer Treated?
A person’s overall health and the size and stage of cancer can significantly affect the treatment. Tonsil cancer, especially in its early stages, is often treated exclusively with radiation. The benefits of this treatment are that tonsil cancer typically responds very well to radiation, and this treatment has less impact on swallowing and talking. Treatment may also include chemotherapy in advanced cancers, which have spread beyond the tonsils.
When the more conservative treatments are ineffective, or cancer has affected lymph nodes in the neck, treatment may include surgery to remove cancer and affected lymph nodes. Other treatments include immunotherapy targeted molecular agents such as EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor).
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