Cancers of the mouth, nose, and throat develop in almost 65,000 people in the United States each year. These cancers are more common among men because males who smoke continue to outnumber females who smoke and because oral human papillomavirus (HPV) Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infection Human papillomavirus (HPV) can be sexually transmitted and causes changes in cells, which can lead to genital warts or to precancer or cancer of the cervix, vagina, vulva, anus, or throat. Different... read more 
infection is more frequent in males. Most affected people are between the ages of 50 and 70. However, the cancers caused by HPV, which are primarily oropharyngeal cancers Mouth and Throat Cancer Mouth and throat cancers are cancers that originate on the lips, the roof, sides, or floor of the mouth, tongue, tonsils, or back of the throat. Mouth and throat cancers may look like open sores... read more 
, occur more often in younger people.
Often, cancers of the mouth, nose, and throat are considered together by doctors because of certain similarities. Among the similarities are the type of cancer and the causes. More than 90% of cancers of the mouth, nose, and throat are squamous cell carcinomas, which means the cancer develops in the squamous cells that line the inside of the mouth, nose, or throat. Most people who have mouth, nose, or throat cancers use tobacco, drink alcohol, or both. Another cause of some types of these cancers is viral infection. HPV Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infection Human papillomavirus (HPV) can be sexually transmitted and causes changes in cells, which can lead to genital warts or to precancer or cancer of the cervix, vagina, vulva, anus, or throat. Different... read more can cause mouth and throat cancer Mouth and Throat Cancer Mouth and throat cancers are cancers that originate on the lips, the roof, sides, or floor of the mouth, tongue, tonsils, or back of the throat. Mouth and throat cancers may look like open sores... read more , and the Epstein-Barr virus Infectious Mononucleosis Epstein-Barr virus causes a number of diseases, including infectious mononucleosis. The virus is spread through kissing. Symptoms vary, but the most common are extreme fatigue, fever, sore throat... read more 
can cause nasopharyngeal cancer Nasopharyngeal Cancer Nasopharyngeal cancers are cancers originating at the back of the nasal passage, from above the soft palate to the upper part of the throat. People often develop lumps in their neck or may have... read more .
A Look Inside the Nose and Throat
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The most common sites of mouth, nose, and throat cancers are
Inside the mouth Mouth and Throat Cancer Mouth and throat cancers are cancers that originate on the lips, the roof, sides, or floor of the mouth, tongue, tonsils, or back of the throat. Mouth and throat cancers may look like open sores... read more
(including the tongue, floor of the mouth, and the hard part of the roof of the mouth)The middle part of the throat Mouth and Throat Cancer Mouth and throat cancers are cancers that originate on the lips, the roof, sides, or floor of the mouth, tongue, tonsils, or back of the throat. Mouth and throat cancers may look like open sores... read more
(also called the oropharynx, which includes the back wall of the mouth, the base of the tongue, the tonsils, and the soft part of the roof of the mouth)
Less common sites for these cancers are
The hollow spaces located in the bones around the nose Paranasal Sinus Cancer Paranasal sinus cancer is cancer originating in the paranasal sinuses, usually occurring in the maxillary and ethmoid sinuses. Although rare in the United States, paranasal sinus cancers are... read more (paranasal sinuses)
The nasal cavity and nasal passages
Also see Thyroid Cancer Thyroid Cancer The cause of thyroid cancer is not known, but the thyroid gland is very sensitive to radiation, which may cause cancerous changes. Thyroid cancer is more common among people who were treated... read more and Skin Cancer Overview of Skin Cancer Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer. Skin cancer is most common among people who work or play sports outside and among sunbathers. Fair-skinned people are particularly susceptible... read more for information regarding tumors of the thyroid gland and skin. For cancers that affect the bones, including the jawbone (osteosarcomas, malignant giant cell tumors, multiple myeloma, and metastatic tumors), see Primary Cancerous Bone Tumors Primary Cancerous Bone Tumors Tumors that originally start in the bone are called primary bone tumors. Primary bone tumors may be noncancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant). After cancer is diagnosed, it is staged. Staging... read more 
.
Symptoms of Mouth, Nose, and Throat Cancers
Symptoms vary depending on the location of the cancer. Common symptoms of mouth, nose, and throat cancers include
Hoarseness
A lump in the neck
A painful open sore or a growth in the mouth
Difficulty swallowing and resulting weight loss
Sometimes red or white patches (erythroplakia or leukoplakia) in the mouth may be early symptoms.
Diagnosis of Mouth, Nose, and Throat Cancers
Examination by a doctor or dentist
Endoscopy
Biopsy
Some cancers inside the mouth do not cause symptoms at first but can be seen or felt by a doctor or dentist during a routine mouth examination. If a person has symptoms, the doctor can use a flexible viewing tube, called an endoscope, to examine the deeper regions in the mouth, nose, and throat. The diagnosis is made by examining a sample of tissue, called a biopsy, from the suspected cancer. Doctors insert a needle into the growth to get a small amount of tissue or cut out a small piece using a scalpel.
Staging tests
Before they can select the best form of treatment for a person's mouth, nose, or throat cancer, doctors do staging Staging Cancer Cancer is suspected based on a person's symptoms, the results of a physical examination, and sometimes the results of screening tests. Occasionally, x-rays obtained for other reasons, such as... read more tests to determine how advanced the cancer has become, taking into account the cancer's size, invasion into nearby tissues, and distant spread (metastasis). Cancers of the mouth, nose, and throat are staged according to the size, location, and invasiveness of the original tumor, the number and size of metastases to the lymph nodes Lymphoid organs The immune system is designed to defend the body against foreign or dangerous invaders. Such invaders include Microorganisms (commonly called germs, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi) Parasites... read more in the neck, and evidence of metastases to distant parts of the body. Stage I cancer is the least advanced, and stage IV is the most advanced.
Staging tests for cancers of the mouth, nose, and throat usually include imaging tests, typically computed tomography Computed Tomography (CT) Computed tomography (CT) is a type of medical imaging that combines a series of x-rays to create cross-sectional, detailed images of internal structures. In computed tomography (CT), which used... read more 
(CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a type of medical imaging that uses a strong magnetic field and very high frequency radio waves to produce highly detailed images. During an MRI, a computer... read more 
(MRI) scans and sometimes a positron emission tomography Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Positron emission tomography (PET) is a type of medical imaging called radionuclide scanning. By detecting radiation after a radioactive material is administered, PET creates images that can... read more 
(PET) scan. For oropharyngeal cancer Mouth and Throat Cancer Mouth and throat cancers are cancers that originate on the lips, the roof, sides, or floor of the mouth, tongue, tonsils, or back of the throat. Mouth and throat cancers may look like open sores... read more , the person's HPV Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infection Human papillomavirus (HPV) can be sexually transmitted and causes changes in cells, which can lead to genital warts or to precancer or cancer of the cervix, vagina, vulva, anus, or throat. Different... read more status also is taken into consideration.
Prognosis for Mouth, Nose, and Throat Cancers
The outcome of mouth, nose, and throat cancers varies greatly depending on the type, location, cause, and stage of the cancer. In general, outcomes are better when the cancer is diagnosed and treated before it has spread. People with mouth and throat cancers caused by HPV have a better prognosis than a person whose tumors were caused by tobacco or alcohol.
Prevention of Mouth, Nose, and Throat Cancers
It is important for people to eliminate risk factors for mouth, nose, and throat cancers, so everyone should stop using tobacco (smoking and chewing tobacco) and limit how much alcohol they drink. Removing risk factors also helps prevent disease from coming back in people who have been treated for cancer.
Current vaccines against HPV Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine helps protect against infection by the strains of HPV that are most likely to cause the following: Cervical cancer, vaginal cancer, and vulvar cancer in... read more target some of the HPV strains that cause mouth and throat cancers, so vaccination may prevent some of these cancers from developing.
Treatment of Mouth, Nose, and Throat Cancers
Surgery and/or radiation therapy
Sometimes chemotherapy
Palliative treatment
Treatment of mouth, nose, and throat cancers usually involves surgery Surgery for Cancer Surgery is a traditional form of cancer treatment. It is the most effective in eliminating most types of cancer before it has spread to lymph nodes or distant sites (metastasized). Surgery may... read more and/or radiation therapy Radiation Therapy for Cancer Radiation is a form of intense energy generated by a radioactive substance, such as cobalt, or by specialized equipment, such as an atomic particle (linear) accelerator. Radiation preferentially... read more . Chemotherapy Chemotherapy and Other Systemic Cancer Treatments Systemic treatments are those that have effects throughout the body rather than being applied directly to the cancer. Chemotherapy is a form of systemic treatment that uses drugs to kill cancer... read more is usually not the primary form of treatment, although it is sometimes added to other treatments. Because so many factors are involved in choosing the right treatment, teams of specialists work together to plan a person's care.
Unless a cancer is easily treated, measures to manage a person's pain and quality of life (called palliative treatment) are essential. Pain and palliative care specialists develop plans to manage a person's pain, difficulty eating, choking on secretions, and other troublesome symptoms. Palliative treatment may also include surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy. For example, if a tumor is causing pain but cannot be removed surgically, radiation to the tumor may shrink it, temporarily reducing the person's pain.
