What are the symptoms of throat cancer?
Throat cancer symptoms can vary and can often seem similar to symptoms of other chronic diseases, so if you have any symptoms, especially those that last longer than two weeks, it’s important to see your doctor.
Symptoms can include:
- Change in the voice, including hoarseness
- Difficulty or pain when swallowing
- Chronic sore throat
- Earaches
- Lump in the neck
- Chronic cough
- Difficulty breathing
- Unexplained weight loss
Our throat cancer specialists and subspecialists combine world-recognized medical expertise, innovation and compassionate care to detect and treat your specific cancer, creating precise, personalized treatment plans that incorporate groundbreaking discoveries, collaborations with other world-renowned cancer researchers, and the best individualized treatment just for you.
How is throat cancer diagnosed?
At Miami Cancer Institute, our internationally recognized throat cancer experts work together across many medical disciplines (known as a multidisciplinary approach) to provide you with the most advanced, comprehensive diagnostics available today – all under one roof and all conveniently located in South Florida.
Our expert multidisciplinary team begins by determining your complete family history and providing you with a thorough physical examination. This includes blood tests and state-of-the-art advanced imaging and laboratory tests, all with a compassionate, patient-centered focus.
When you’re diagnosed with throat cancer at the Institute, our expert healthcare team uses a variety of personalized tests, depending on what’s right for you.
This can include:
- Biopsy to examine tumor tissues and determine the specific kind of cancer present
- Barium swallow test for clearer pictures during imaging
- Imaging studies that may include X-rays, ultrasound, CT (Computed Tomography), MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), PET (Photo Emission Tomography), radioiodine scans or bone scans
- Laryngoscopy, which enables the specialists to use a mirror or a thin, flexible, lighted tube to view the larynx and surrounding areas in the throat
- Endoscopy to view hard-to-see areas of the throat using a thin, lighted tube
- Esophagoscopy to view the inside of the esophagus using a thin, lighted tube
- Bronchoscopy to view the insides of the trachea and lungs using a thin, lighted tube
