Don’t Ignore the Symptoms: Know These Easy-to-Miss Signs of Throat Cancer

Val Kilmer, a beloved Hollywood actor known for his iconic roles in movies like Top Gun, Batman Forever and The Doors, passed away due to complications from throat cancer. Mr. Kilmer, who appeared in Top Gun: Maverick in 2022, was 65.

Mr. Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014. Initially, he decided to keep the diagnosis to himself but later revealed that he underwent a tracheotomy, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Since his diagnosis, Mr. Kilmer was very outspoken about his journey with throat cancer, often speaking at events to help raise awareness. He even released a documentary called “Val,” which was a tribute to his life, where he delved deeper into his struggle with throat cancer.

While Hollywood and fans worldwide mourn the loss of Mr. Kilmer, we’re here to help raise awareness of throat cancer and its symptoms in hopes of reducing diagnoses or diagnosing when it's most treatable. Keep reading to learn more about throat cancer, including symptoms, risk factors and treatment options.

What Is Throat Cancer?

Throat cancer can be described as cancer that develops in your throat (pharynx) or voice box (larynx). Most often, throat cancer begins in the neck as squamous cell carcinoma, which is an overproduction of squamous cells. These are thin, flat cells lining our throats. However, there are several types of throat cancer that originate in unique parts of the throat, including:

• Hypopharyngeal: Affects the part of the throat above the esophagus and windpipe
• Laryngeal: Affects the voice box
• Nasopharyngeal: Affects the part of the throat behind the nose
• Oropharyngeal: Affects the middle part of the throat, the most common type in the U.S.

According to the American Cancer Society, it’s estimated that 13,000 people will develop laryngeal cancer in 2025. When compared to others, throat cancer is considered rare — but this doesn’t mean you should look the other way if you’re experiencing symptoms.

Easy to Miss Symptoms of Throat Cancer

Unlike other cancers, throat cancer symptoms don’t present immediately. To make matters worse, common symptoms of throat cancer are often the same as those for less serious conditions like allergies and the common cold. These symptoms include:

• A hoarse voice
• Lump in the neck
• Pain when swallowing
• Persistent cough
• Shortness of breath
• Weight loss

If less serious illnesses cause these symptoms, such as a hoarse voice, pain when swallowing or a persistent cough, they should improve in time. However, a good tell that you might be experiencing throat cancer symptoms is if they persist for a long time and don’t get better. It’s important that you visit your health care provider if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms to rule out throat cancer.

Know if You’re at High Risk

Just like any other cancer, certain factors put people at a higher risk of developing throat cancer, including:

• A diet low in fruits and vegetables
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Exposure to toxic substances like asbestos and formaldehyde
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Smoking or tobacco use (this is the largest risk factor)
• Those with HPV and Epstein-Barr virus

We know that certain risk factors are out of your control. However, there are steps you can take to prevent your likelihood of developing throat cancer, like abstaining from smoking, drinking in moderation, if at all, getting the HPV vaccine and managing your diet.

Treating Throat Cancer

There are several treatment options for throat cancer that depend on its location, severity and personal preferences. It’s important that you talk to your doctor to find out which treatment option is right for you. Let’s take a closer look at each type of treatment option.

Surgery

When it comes to treating throat cancer with surgery, the goal is to remove as much cancer as possible while preserving healthy tissue and your ability to speak, breathe and swallow. Surgery is a common treatment method for those with early-stage throat cancer. At AdventHealth, our expert otolaryngologists specialize in minimally invasive surgical techniques to treat your cancer more effectively and keep you safe.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams from a powerful machine, like an X-ray, to destroy the cancer cells. This treatment method is ideal for those with small throat cancers or throat cancers that haven’t spread to the lymph nodes. Sometimes, radiation therapy is all the treatment that’s needed. However, in advanced cases, you may need radiation therapy paired with other treatment methods like surgery and chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill the cancerous cells. This treatment method is often paired with radiation therapy since both methods increase the side effects of each other. Chemotherapy is also often used to shrink the cancer before surgery and frequently used after to remove any remaining cancer in the throat.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy uses our body's immune system to fight against cancer. However, it can be difficult to know if our immune system will recognize the cancerous cells in our body. This is because these cells produce certain proteins that help them go undetected by our immune system. Immunotherapy treats throat cancer by either strengthening our immune system to recognize and fight the cancerous cells or preventing them from growing. This treatment method is often reserved for those unresponsive to other treatment methods or advanced cases.

We’re in Your Corner When It Comes to Cancer

We know that cancer can feel overwhelming, but you aren’t alone. Our expert otolaryngologists at AdventHealth are here to help you prevent and treat throat cancer. Visit us here to learn more about our cancer care services, or schedule an appointment at your convenience.