Constant sore throat can be due to cancer

Find a doctor if you have a sore throat

At a time when more and more people are getting cancer, early diagnosis becomes more and more important. Therefore, doctors and patients should recognize first symptoms that may indicate cancer. Researchers have now announced that persistent sore throats may be a warning sign of cancer.

Researchers at the University of Exeter found in their current research that people with persistent sore throats associated with shortness of breath, dysphagia or earache may have cancer. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal "British Journal of General Practice".

Sore throat does not always indicate cancer

A normal inflammation of the neck is usually not associated with laryngeal cancer, so sufferers must therefore not panic, the experts emphasize. Importantly, however, the current study also provides evidence supporting the current recommendation to refer senior patients with persistent hoarseness or sore throats to a specialist.

What is throat cancer??

Cancer of the larynx is generally more common in men and is strongly associated with tobacco and alcohol consumption. If such a cancer is detected, radiotherapy, surgery and chemotherapy are mainly used for treatment. If the cancer is already well advanced, surgery may be needed to remove part of the larynx or entire larynx, explain the physicians. Such people can then no longer speak or breathe normally. They then breathe through a permanent hole in their throat (stoma) and need extra treatment to restore their voice. This may be a neck implant or an electrical device held against the neck to create noise.

More than 4,000 subjects were examined

The University of Exeter-led research looked at patient records from more than 600 primary care practices and 806 patients diagnosed with cancer of the larynx. In addition, there were another 3,559 control patients. The physicians were able to determine that hoarseness occurring may indicate a so-called laryngeal carcinoma and the likelihood of such a laryngeal carcinoma increases significantly if additionally recurring sore throat occurs.

What to do in case of particularly severe sore throat?

The study shows the potential severity of some combinations of symptoms previously considered low-risk, says study author Professor Willie Hamilton of the University of Exeter Medical School. It is not a slight sore throat, but the sore throat must be so strong that a doctor's visit is needed, the expert stresses. People are used to having sore throats from time to time, and sore throats reported to primary care physicians are usually unusually strong, the expert adds.

Early diagnosis is very important

A combination of persistent symptoms such as sore throat, hoarseness, and respiratory or dysphagia may be a warning sign of a cancer, the researchers concluded. New guidelines for screening and diagnosis are important for physicians to choose the right patients to refer to. Diagnosing cancer in the early stages of the disease allows access to rapid and successful treatment. It is therefore recommended that patients with persistent hoarseness or unexplained sore throats be examined for cervical or throat cancer. (As)