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Can throat cancer be cured?
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Man holding throat
Wednesday, May 18, 2022 - 09:55 am
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Throat cancer is a broad term that includes several different cancer types occurring
in various parts of the throat. These parts are the oropharynx (back of the throat)
, the hypopharynx (area next to the voice box), the nasopharynx (upper part of the
throat behind the nose) and the larynx (voice box).
These cancers can be cured, but survival rates are different for each type of throat
cancer, says Kimberly Wooten, MD, Head & Neck and Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon
at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. “The type of throat cancer is
important because that determines diagnosis, staging and treatment options,” Dr.
Wooten says. “The general term ‘throat cancer’ is much more complex in regard to
treatment compared to other types of cancer, such as breast or colon, for instance.
”
What are the survival rates?
Survival for throat cancers depends on the type of cancer as well as the stage and
location of the cancer. Overall, “The most successful cure rates are in the earlier
stages,” Dr. Wooten says. “The staging is important. In later stages, in which
the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes — stage 3 — the overall five-year
survival is around 50%. And if it spread to distant areas of the body like lungs,
liver or bone — stage 4 — this survival rate drops to roughly 30%.”
Specific survival rates are different for different types of throat cancer. Cancers
with high survival include cancers of the vocal cords, as well as cancers of the
tonsils and back of the tongue that are related to the human papillomavirus (HPV).
Cancers at the vocal cords have a five-year survival of 80-90%, “in part because
symptoms are more noticeable,” she says, which means these cancers are often caught
early.
In addition, survival rates also differ among the specific sites of the tumors. For
instance, cancers of the vocal cords (glottis) have higher survival rates compared
to cancers located above the vocal cords (called the supraglottis) or below the
vocal cords (called the subglottis), Dr. Wooten says.
The overall five-year survival rate for cancer of the voice box (larynx) is roughly
60%, she says. Fortunately, when it’s caught earlier, in stages 1 and 2, the
survival rate is higher, closer to 80 to 90% for same time frame.
Unfortunately, cancers of the hypopharynx, an area of the throat next to the voice
box, are more challenging. “These have a much lower five-year survival rate of
about 50%, even when caught in the early stages,” she says.
What are the risk factors and symptoms?
The main risk factors for throat cancer are using tobacco and alcohol. Certain types
of throat cancer have other risk factors. For example, HPV is a risk factor for
oropharyngeal cancers (tonsils and base of tongue). “The symptoms of throat cancers