Swallowing pain, hoarseness, Hanoi youth suddenly discovered 2 cancers at the same time

Unexpectedly found to have 2 cancers after swallowing pain

Doctor Do Tien Quan – Ear, nose and throat specialist (Medlatec Hospital) said that recently, the doctor received a patient who came to the clinic because of swallowing problems, swallowing pain gradually increased when eating, deviating to the right, spreading upward. right ear. Before that, the patient went to the doctor and was diagnosed with acute pharyngitis and bought oral medicine but it did not help.

About 1 month before the date of examination, the hoarseness gradually increased, weight loss, so I went to the hospital for examination. It is known that the patient has a history of frequent alcohol consumption and smoking for many years.

After otolaryngoscopy and doing some tests, the doctor discovered that the patient’s right neck area was swollen, with bilateral cervical lymph nodes. Ear, nose and throat endoscopy revealed a very large lump in the right hypopharynx spreading around and into the larynx.

When you see signs of choking, swallowing problems, you need to see a doctor immediately to prevent cancer. Illustration.

CT scan results of the neck and thorax showed that the patient had a large tumor in the hypopharynx spreading into the larynx and anterior soft part of the spine, with many bilateral cervical lymph nodes. Chest CT scan showed suspicion of metastases in the lungs and chest wall. The patient had a biopsy of the hypopharynx tumor, and the results showed that the patient had squamous cell carcinoma and stage 4B hypopharyngeal cancer.

Slow development but not subjective

Doctor Tien Quan said that with throat cancer, the initial symptoms are very subtle, so the patient should not easily ignore it and do not go to the doctor. And laryngeal cancer often appears early with hoarseness symptoms, so patients should go to the doctor sooner.

In terms of growth rate, laryngeal cancer develops more slowly than other cancers, easy examination and detection, and timely treatment gives high results (early detection rate is 80%). But in fact, there are many cases of subjective late arrival to the doctor, so it has unfortunate consequences that prolong the time, as well as affect the treatment results and the patient’s quality of life.

According to Dr. Quan, people should be wary of high risk factors for cancer of the pharynx – larynx, including:

– Habits of drinking, smoking: Both alcohol and tobacco use increase the risk of cancer 3 times.

– Occupational factors: Related to asbestos dust, Nickel, chrome, sulfuric acid, plastic. In addition, laryngeal cancer is common in patients over 55 years old, in men (the risk is 4 times higher than that of patients). female).

Early examination and timely detection are of great significance in treatment. Illustration.

When should you go to the doctor right away to screen for cancer of the pharynx – larynx?

Doctor Quan recommends that people should go for regular check-ups by an ENT specialist every year, especially those with high risk factors or should pay attention to go to the doctor immediately if any of the following signs appear:

For throat cancer should be alert for warning signs such as:

+ Swallowing disorders: Swallowing difficulty, swallowing pain on one side and spreading to the ear on the same side;

+ Eating poorly;

+ Unexplained weight loss;

+ Swollen cervical lymph nodes on the same side of the lesion, in the late stage, there are cervical lymph nodes on both sides.

For laryngeal cancer, you should be on the lookout for the following signs:

Hoarseness: A common and sometimes unique symptom in many patients.

+ Cough: Is a manifestation of many respiratory diseases such as pharyngitis, tonsillitis… and is also a common sign of laryngeal cancer, so it should be noted. In the late stages, patients have difficulty swallowing, causing food to fall into the airways, causing coughing fits.

+ Difficulty swallowing: When the tumor has spread to the lower throat, accompanied by signs of pain spreading to the ear.

Unexplained weight loss.

Ways to prevent cancer of the pharynx – larynx

Quit smoking and drinking alcohol, as these are the main risk factors for the disease.

– Use full labor protection in environments exposed to a lot of dust, toxic chemicals.

– Complete treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease.

– Clean teeth, treat diseases of the nose and throat area thoroughly.

– When symptoms appear hoarse, painful swallowing, difficulty swallowing, especially in men over 40 years old, who have a habit of smoking and drinking often, it is necessary to see an ENT specialist for early detection. .