Head & Neck Oncology Program
Hypopharyngeal Cancer
What Is Hypopharyngeal Cancer? | Risk Factors | Symptoms and Diagnosis | Stages and Treatment Options | About Clinical Trials | Greenebaum Cancer Center
Symptoms and Diagnosis
If a person experiences any of the following symptoms, he or she should see a doctor:
- a sore throat, cough, or hoarseness that does not go away
- trouble or pain when swallowing or breathing
- a lump in the neck
- a change in voice
- ear pain
If a patient has symptoms of hypopharyngeal cancer, the doctor will examine the throat using a mirror and lights and will feel the throat for lumps. The doctor may also put a thin lighted tube, called an endoscope, down the throat to look for signs of tissue that is not normal.
If the patient seems to have throat tissue that is not normal, the doctor will probably cut out a small piece and look at it under the microscope to see if it contains cancer cells. This is called a biopsy and is the only way to confirm a cancer diagnosis.
The chance of recovery (prognosis) from hypopharyngeal cancer depends on where the cancer is in the throat, whether the cancer is just in the hypopharynx or has spread to other tissues (the stage), and the patient’s general state of health.
This page was last updated on: March 3, 2008.
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