Table of Contents
How Long Can Someone Survive with Throat Cancer Without Treatment?
By Raveena M Prakash
Throat cancer is a deadly disease that mostly affects the throat, also known as the pharynx or voice box (larynx). Throat cancer doesn’t usually show any signs or symptoms right away. Once the symptoms get noticeable, they might act like a less serious condition, such as a sore throat or ear pain. If you are experiencing any symptoms such as a sore throat or earache and are confused about whether you have throat cancer or not and want to know more about the throat cancer survival rate, then read further!
In this article, we’ll discover more about what throat cancer is, how to detect throat cancer, causes and risk factors, treatments, and quality of life.
What is throat cancer?
Throat cancer mostly refers to the malignant tumors that might develop in the throat, voice box, or surrounding areas. There are mainly two types of cancer found in people.
These may include:
- Pharyngeal cancer: This type of cancer often develops in the pharynx, the hollow tube running from behind the nose to the esophagus. The subtypes of pharyngeal cancer might include nasopharyngeal cancer, oropharyngeal cancer, and hypopharyngeal cancers.
- Laryngeal cancer: This type of cancer, also known as larynx cancer, developed in the larynx, which is also called the voice box. This cancer affects the vocal cords and nearby tissues, which are critical for speech and breathing.
Causes and risk factors of throat cancer
This type of cancer has several risk factors that often increase the chance of cancer in people. Some of the common risk factors may include:
- Smoking and the use of tobacco: Smoking is one of the leading causes and risk factors for developing many cancers including the throat.
- Alcohol consumption: Excessive and chronic alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing cancer in the throat, especially when compared with smoking.
- HPV infection: HPV viral infections mostly lead to oropharyngeal cancers. HPV-positive cancers generally have better treatment outcomes; however, HPV infection is a significant risk factor for this cancer's development in people. HPV can also be transmitted through oral sex. HPV infection is the common cause of throat or head and neck cancers.
- Exposure to toxic substances (chemicals, natural carcinogens): Long-term exposure to carcinogens such as asbestos, wood dust, and formaldehyde is also known to increase the risk of this cancer in people.
- Epstein-Barr virus infection: This viral infection might increase the risk of nasopharyngeal cancer in people.
Stages of Throat Cancer and Progression without Treatment
Here is a stage I to IV wise progression of cancer in the throat without treatment in people.
Stage I: Early stage
Stage I is the initial stage of throat cancer; in this stage, the tumor is comparatively small and mainly confined to the point of cancer growth. The symptoms often come as mild or absent in patients who are diagnosed with this stage. This part of this stage often makes it difficult to detect without any medical intervention.
- Without treatment: Survival at this stage is often high with proper care and timely treatment. An untreated stage I cancer might progress into more advanced stages. There are some early symptoms, which include a continuous sore throat and hoarseness in patients. Meanwhile, both of these symptoms are overlooked by people because of their less severe conditions.
Stage II: Locally advanced stage
In stage II, the tumor grows larger or starts to spread into nearby tissues. However, this tumor remains confined to the primary areas, but it can often cause discomfort in people.
There are symptoms that indicate the signs of progression:
- A sore throat that doesn’t cure
- Continuous hoarseness or voice changes that worsen over time
- Experience difficulty in swallowing
Stage III: Advanced Regional spread
At this stage, the cancer initiates spreading into lymph nodes or surrounding areas and often starts to increase rapidly with the severity of symptoms. Some patients might experience difficulty in breathing or swallowing or experience sudden weight loss.
- Without treatment: The risk of losing life to cancer increases significantly at this stage, and the body’s ability to function gets difficult as well. Lymph node involvement often signifies extensive progression of the tumor, which is highly challenging to reverse even with late-stage medical intervention.
Stage IV: Metastatic Cancer
In stage IV, the cancer in the throat is often characterized by the spread of malignant cells to distant organs such as the lungs, liver, or bones. Stage IV cancer is often marked as a critical and life-threatening stage.
- Without treatment: In this stage, the survival rate is drastically limited, and many patients at this stage may experience organ dysfunction, extreme pain, and poor quality of life when compared to patients who are getting proper treatment.
Factors affecting life expectancy without treatment
There are some significant factors affecting life expectancy without treatments. These factors may include:
Tumor location and size
Cancer that originates in certain areas of the throat, such as the hypopharynx, tends to be more aggressive or harder to treat or cure. In some cases, these large tumors might be known for faster progression.
Patient’s age and overall health
Age plays a huge role in determining the life expectancy of a patient. Patients who are younger in age and often have fewer comorbidities generally have better outcomes when compared to elderly cancer patients with chronic health conditions such as diabetes and heart issues.
Lifestyle factors
Lifestyle factors such as smoking or drinking alcohol increase the growth and progression of untreated cancer in patients. Additionally, living in poor air quality can also increase the chance of exacerbating the cancer.
Importance of early detection and treatment
Early detection and immediate treatment options might improve the chances of recovery and survival from this deadly disease. There are many effective treatment options available for curing cancer in the throat. The treatment approach majorly depends on the patient’s age, cancer stage, and type of cancer.
The common treatments may include:
- Surgery
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
Possible complications of untreated throat cancer
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms of this throat or laryngeal cancer, and if you are avoiding treatments, it might reduce the chance of survival. Once you are diagnosed with throat or laryngeal cancer, then getting proper treatment is essential to recover from or survive this deadly disease.
There are some potential complications of untreated cancer. These can affect a patient both physically and emotionally.
- Physical challenges: The tumor or cancer growth often impacts some basic functions such as swallowing, even breathing and speaking as well.
- Emotional challenges: Patients and their families often experience uncertainty about life, along with anxiety, frustration, and grief as common symptoms, which might often get worse without undergoing proper treatments, which can also affect the mental health of patients.
- Secondary infections and organ failure: There are some untreated tumors that might often lead to many infections, which cause the spread of cancer to vital organs, which might result in organ failure.
Consult Today
Being diagnosed with throat cancer can often feel overwhelming and challenging to handle. But today cancer is a highly treatable and manageable disease with early detection, immediate treatment measures, and modifying lifestyles, which can significantly improve treatment outcomes.
If you are experiencing any symptoms of throat cancer and want to get more guidance on your cancer treatment. Visit Oncare’s official website and book an appointment today. Get an estimated cost of your cancer treatment at Oncare.
If you or any loved ones of yours suspect or have been diagnosed with cancer, visit Oncare’s center for expert consultation, with premium quality treatments at affordable price ranges.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are several treatment options used for the cure of throat cancer. These may include:
- Surgery
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Targeted therapy
- Immunotherapy
Many studies suggest that there is a difference between treated patients and untreated cancer patients. In the majority of cases, properly treated patients might experience a better quality of life and an extended life span when compared to non-treated cancer patients.
Here are some of the symptoms of throat cancer, these may include:
- Sore throat
- Ear pain
- Experiencing a difficulty in swallowing
- Experiencing pain when you swallow
- A lump on the neck, throat or back of the throat
- Changes in your voice
- Continues cough
- Seeing blood in your cough
- Sudden weight loss
There are several types of throat cancer, these may include:
- Oropharyngeal cancer
- Laryngeal cancer
- Hypopharyngeal cancer
- Nasopharyngeal cancer