Laryngeal cancer symptom you can feel in your ear - and six other warning signs

22 January 2023 , 10:00

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Early detection of the disease is key to surviving cancer, however, signs can often be hard to spot

Over 2,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with laryngeal cancer each year - but do you know what this actually is?

Laryngeal cancer affects the larynx (voice box), which is part of the throat found at the entrance of the windpipe.

According to the NHS, it plays an important role in helping you breathe and speak.

Early detection of the disease is key to surviving cancer, however, signs can often be hard to spot.

Currently GPs are only required to consider laryngeal cancer if a patient has hoarseness or an unexplained neck lump.

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But there are several other warning signs that could signal the disease, these include:

• Persistent hoarseness and difficulty speaking for over three weeks

• Constant earache

• Noisy breathing, including a wheezing sound

• Shortness of breath or breathlessness

• A lump or swelling in your throat or neck

• A persistent cough

• Difficulty or pain when swallowing

Some people may also experience bad breath, unintentional weight loss, or extreme tiredness.

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A persistent cough could be a warning sign of laryngeal cancer (Getty Images)

It is important to remember that these signs could mean you have a condition other than cancer. Viral conditions such as laryngitis have similar symptoms.

Shocking figures from Cancer Research UK have revealed that head and neck cancers are responsible for more than 4,000 deaths a year in the UK.

If you are concerned about any of your symptoms, it is recommended you visit your GP immediately.

The health body adds that larynx cancer is more common in men than in women.

Causes of laryngeal cancer

While the exact causes of larynx cancer are unknown, several risk factors have been identified, such as:

• Smoking and heavy drinking of alcohol

• Exposure to certain chemicals like paint fumes, wood dust and soot

• Acid reflux - when bile from the stomach comes back up into the windpipe

• Poor diet

• Having family members (such as a parent, brother, sister or child) who have had laryngeal cancer

Adopting a healthy lifestyle, such as avoiding alcohol and tobacco, can sign significantly reduce your chances of developing laryngeal cancer.

The main treatments for throat cancer include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and targeted cancer medicines, writes the NHS.

Your treatment plan will depend on your age, health and the stage of cancer.

Freya Hodgson