Oropharyngeal cancer

Oropharyngeal cancer

Head and neck.

Pharynx
Details
pharyngeal branches of ascending pharyngeal artery, ascending palatine, descending palatine, pharyngeal branches of inferior thyroid
pharyngeal veins
pharyngeal plexus
Identifiers
Gray's p.1141
MeSH A03.556.750
Code p_16
Dorlands
/Elsevier
12633198
Anatomical terminology

Oropharyngeal cancer is a disease in which malignant cells form in the tissue of oropharynx. Oropharynx is a middle part of the throat that includes the base of the tongue, the tonsils, the soft palate, and the walls of the pharynx.[1] Oropharyngeal cancers can be divided into two types, HPV-positive, which are related to human papillomavirus infection, and HPV-negative cancers, which are usually linked to alcohol or tobacco use.[2]

Studies

For patients with advanced oropharyngeal cancer the combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy appears to be as efficient as surgical management. Shiley et al compared the maintenance of swallowing function with the two approaches. They studied 27 patients who underwent the advanced stage (III and IV) of oropharyngeal cancer. Among those patients, 67% had base of tongue lesions and 82% of them used gastrostomy tube either before or during the treatment. Three months after the chemoradiation, 33% of the patients were consuming all nutrition orally, 45% had some oral intake but still had the tube feeding, and 22% had no oral intake at all. The results showed that the short-term incidence of gastrostomy tube dependence after chemo radiation was similar to that after surgical management of oropharyngeal cancer at their institution.[3]

Symptoms

Following are the possible signs of oropharyngeal cancer. [1][4]

Risk factors

The following are risk factors that can increase the risk of developing oropharyngeal cancer:[4]

Conditions associated with malignant transformation

High-risk lesions

Medium- risk lesions.

Low-risk lesions.

Prognosis

Patients with HPV-mediated oropharyngeal cancer tend to have higher survival rates.[2] The prognosis for people with oropharyngeal cancer depends on the age and health of the person and the stage of the disease. It is important for people with oropharyngeal cancer to have follow-up exams for the rest of their lives as cancer can occur in nearby areas. In addition, it is important to eliminate risk factors such as smoking and drinking alcohol, which increase the risk for second cancers.[1]

Spread

There are three ways of cancer spreading in the body.[4]

Stages

[4]

Stage 0 carcinoma in situ

Abnormal cells are found in the lining of the oropharynx, These may become cancer and spread into nearby normal tissue.

Stage 1

Cancer has formed and is 20 millimetres or smaller and has not spread outside the oropharynx.

Stage 2

Cancer has formed and is larger than 20 millimetres but not larger than 40 millimetres. Also it has not yet spread outside the oropharynx.

Stage 3

Stage 4A

Stage 4B

Stage 4C

Cancer has spread to other parts of the body; the tumor may be any size and may have spread to lymph nodes.

Glossary

Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas

Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas
Classification and external resources
ICD-10 C09-C10
C01,C02.4,C05.1

Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) is a type of head and neck cancer that begins in the oropharynx, the middle part of the throat that includes the soft palate, the base of the tongue, the tonsils and the side and back wall of the throat.[6] Squamous cell cancers of the tonsils are more strongly associated with human papillomavirus infection than are cancers of other regions of the head and neck.

Society and culture

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Oropharyngeal Cancer Overview". Cleveland Clinic. 2007-09-07. Retrieved 2011-04-18.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Christian Nordqvist (October 4, 2011). "HPV Linked Oropharyngeal Cancer Rates Rise Dramatically". Medical News Today.
  3. Shiley SG; Hargunani CA; Skoner JM; Holland JM; Wax MK (March 2006). "Swallowing Function after Chemoradiation for Advanced Stage Oropharyngeal Cancer". Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 134 (3): 455–9. doi:10.1016/j.otohns.2005.10.054. PMID 16500444.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Oropharyngeal Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)". National Cancer Institute. Retrieved 2011-04-18.
  5. Isayeva, T; Li, Y; Maswahu, D; Brandwein-Gensler, M (2012). "Human papillomavirus in non-oropharyngeal head and neck cancers: A systematic literature review". Head and Neck Pathology. 6 Suppl 1: S104–20. doi:10.1007/s12105-012-0368-1. PMC 3394168. PMID 22782230.
  6. What Are Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancers?
  7. DeNoon, Daniel J. (September 1, 2010). "Michael Douglas and Throat Cancer FAQ". WebMD Health News. WebMD. Retrieved 2011-04-18.
  8. Sakamoto, Ryuichi (July 10, 2014). "Announcement from commmons". WebMD Health News. Retrieved 2014-08-06.
  9. "The Big Cats — Timeline Photos". www.facebook.com. The Big Cats. 3 December 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  10. White, Janna. "Jason White has been diagnosed with cancer". www.greendayauthority.com. Green Day Authority. Retrieved 6 December 2014.