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Oropharyngeal Cancer

Oral cancers start in the mouth, or oral cavity; oropharyngeal cancers develop in the throat, just behind the mouth, in the structure called the oropharynx. This area includes the base of the tongue, the soft palate, tonsils and attached structures, and the side and back of the throat.

Several types of cancers can develop from the varying structures of the oropharynx, each with differing treatments and prognoses. A few oropharyngeal cancers are benign and do not spread, but can still cause problems like breathing and swallowing difficulty. Benign oropharyngeal tumors can be surgically removed with little danger of recurrence.
About a quarter of leukoplakia, the most common sort of oropharyngeal tumors, are cancerous or precancerous. Erythroplakias, another type of oropharyngeal tumor, are cancerous about seventy percent of the time.

More than ninety percent of oropharyngeal cancers are squamous cell carcinomas, growths from the flat, scaly cells that line the oral cavity and oropharynx. These cancers almost always must be surgically excised with radiation followup; when they are more advanced, chemotherapy is also advised. Squamous cell carcinoma is fast growing and very dangerous.

Web Resources On Oropharyngeal Cancer

What Is Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancer?
Mouth and oropharyngeal cancer

Book Resources On Oropharyngeal Cancer

The Official Patient’s Sourcebook on Oropharyngeal Cancer by Icon Health Publications
Quality of Life and Functional Outcomes After Oral and Oropharyngeal Cancer by S.N. Rogers

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