Â鶹ӳ»­

For high school football coach Mark Teague, the only symptom of throat cancer he noticed was a small lump beneath his jaw. 

¡°I¡¯d been aware of it for a while,¡± says Teague, who was diagnosed with HPV-related throat cancer at age 49. ¡°But I¡¯d had sinus problems all my life, so I didn¡¯t think anything of it. I just assumed it was another swollen lymph node.¡±

George Brownfield had a similar experience.

¡°I found a little lump on my neck one day while shaving,¡± says the senior systems analyst, who was diagnosed with the same disease at age 48. ¡°I remember thinking, ¡®Hey, why does that side of my neck look so puffy?¡¯ and going to my general practitioner. He told me it was probably an infection and prescribed some antibiotics.¡±

The most common throat cancer symptoms: painless neck lumps and swollen lymph nodes

Mark and George¡¯s experiences are not unusual. Most people with throat cancer don¡¯t have any symptoms. But when they do, a swollen lymph node or a painless lump in the neck is among the most common.

Why?

¡°Lymph nodes are essentially tiny little sieves that capture dangerous particles circulating in our bodies,¡± explains head and neck cancer surgeon ¡°Sometimes, cancer cells get caught in there and start growing in place. Eventually, they form visible masses that can get big enough to grow out of the lymph nodes.¡±

Other throat cancer symptoms, including (rarely) pain

Other UT MD Anderson patients report different throat cancer symptoms.

¡°I developed a pinching sensation on the left side of my throat whenever I swallowed,¡± recalls Victoria Baker, a retired trauma nurse who was 68 when she was diagnosed with stage I throat cancer. ¡°I thought it was seasonal allergies.¡± 

News photographer Damion Smith lost his voice, and retired furniture sales VP Marc Frappier woke up with a throat so sore one Christmas morning that ¡°it felt like I was swallowing razor blades.¡± 

¡°Hoarseness and pain are far less common symptoms of throat cancer,¡± notes Lango. ¡°Though we do occasionally see patients who report ear pain, a type of ¡®referred¡¯ pain from the tongue or throat. And, sometimes, people say it feels like something is kind of caught back there.¡±

Pain as a symptom of throat cancer is almost always only on one side, though. ¡°It¡¯s not usually in the middle,¡± Lango says. ¡°And it tends to be both dull and persistent. Once it¡¯s there, it¡¯s always there. It doesn't come and go. That¡¯s a sign that it should get checked out.¡±

When to see a doctor for throat cancer symptoms

As a general rule, you should see a doctor about any worrisome symptoms that don¡¯t resolve on their own within two or three weeks. But see a doctor much sooner if you experience any of the following throat cancer symptoms:

• swallowing difficulties
• involuntary weight loss
• a change in your voice or ability to speak clearly
• bleeding in the throat (which may be coughed or spit up)

¡°All of these symptoms should be considered more urgent,¡± explains Lango. ¡°They might not warrant an immediate emergency room visit, but they do need to be looked into pretty quickly.¡±

Having one or more of these symptoms doesn¡¯t necessarily mean you have throat cancer. But it¡¯s important to be evaluated because throat cancer is easiest to treat when it¡¯s caught in its earliest stages.

¡°You¡¯re much more likely to need a combination of treatments ¡ª such as surgery plus radiation rather than surgery alone ¡ª if you¡¯re diagnosed in the latter stages of throat cancer,¡± notes Lango. ¡°And that can mean both a longer course of treatment and more side effects. So, early diagnosis can make a huge difference.¡±

See a complete list of throat cancer symptoms. 

or call 1-877-632-6789.