Pharyngeal Cancer

The pharynx (throat) is a muscular passage lined with mucosa that begins behind the nasal cavity and extends down to the oesophagus (food pipe). Both the air you breathe and the food you eat pass through it, which makes the pharynx an important crossroads of breathing and swallowing. Anatomically it has three parts: the nasopharynx behind the nose; the oropharynx behind the mouth, which includes the tonsils, the base of the tongue and the soft palate; and the hypopharynx, which lies directly behind the voice box (larynx).

Most pharyngeal cancers arise from the flat cells that line these areas. Oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers differ from one another in how they present, in their risk factors and in how they respond to treatment. Complaints such as a persistent sore throat, difficulty swallowing, earache on one side or a lump in the neck that does not hurt may be the first signs of a problem in this area. When a tumour is noticed early, the range of treatment options is wider and it is easier to preserve swallowing and speech.

The pages in this section introduce pharyngeal cancer in general terms; cover oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer separately; explain how symptoms are assessed and the steps by which a diagnosis is made; describe treatment approaches such as surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy; and summarise what to expect after treatment in terms of eating, speaking and returning to daily life. The information here is written in plain language to help you go into conversations with your doctor well prepared.