Oropharyngeal cancer- adult

Overview

Cancer of the back of the mouth which forms part of the throat including the back of the tongue, tonsils, part of the throat wall and soft palate (oropharynx).

Symptoms

  • Swallowing difficulty
  • Sore throat
  • Sore ears
  • Altered voice
  • Loss of appetite

Causes

  • Aphthous stomatitis –Idiopathic –Recurrent, shallow, painful, spontaneously resolving oral ulcers
  • Herpes stomatitis –Due to a primary outbreak of HSV-1 –Severe gingivostomatitis with pain, redness, and erosions around the gum line –Recurrent oral HSV (“cold sores”) often occur at the lip border –Stress, sun exposure, and many other factors contribute to flare-ups
  • Self-limited viral disease (e.g., herpangina, hand-foot-mouth disease) –Most often seen in children –Prodrome of malaise and fever followed by a 5–10 day outbreak of oropharyngeal erosions or vesicles is common, Chemotherapy drugs (especially 5-FU and methotrexate), Squamous cell carcinoma should always be considered if a nonhealing ulcer or oral erosion is noted o Bullous diseases (e.g., pemphigoid, pemphigus, lichen planus) –Recurrent painful oral ulcers and erosions –Evaluate for other skin rashes suggestive of these disorders + Behçet syndrome –Uncommon but well-known cause of oral ulcers –Patients must exhibit other symptoms (e.g., uveitis, CNS problems, GI complaints, genital ulcers) before this diagnosis can be made + Allergic contact dermatitis to amalgams in dental work may result in buccal tenderness + Erythema multiforme (Stevens-Johnson syndrome) –Characterized by oral ulcers, ocular involvement, and simultaneous targetoid, erythematous, or bullous skin lesions –May be triggered by HSV infection, Mycoplasma infection, or drugs (e.g., phenytoin, sulfonamides)
  • Primary syphilis –Painless chancre
  • Agranulocytosis or leukopenia
  • Histoplasmosis (especially in immunosuppressed patients)

Diagnosis

Home medical testing related to Oropharyngeal cancer, adult:

Colon & Rectal Cancer: Home Testing, Home Colorectal Cancer Tests, Home Fecal Occult Bleeding Tests