What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Head and Neck Cancers?

 

The signs and symptoms of head and neck cancer can be quite variable depending on where the tumor is located. Some common symptoms are:

  • A new lump or sore that does not heal
  • Unplanned weight loss (due to difficulty swallowing or poor nutrition)
  • A persistent sore throat or the feeling that something is caught in the throat
  • Hoarseness or a change in voice that does not go away
  • Pain (that may be felt in the ear or jaw)

However, each person may experience symptoms differently. It is not uncommon for people with head and neck cancer to not experience any symptoms. In other cases, their symptoms may be similar to other medical conditions.

To find more specific symptoms of laryngeal cancer, one of the most common head and neck cancers, see What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Laryngeal and Hypopharyngeal Cancer?  

This content was last modified on April 28, 2008 .
Latest Head and Neck Cancers News
US advisers decline to push Gardasil for boys

October 21, 2009 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. vaccine advisers on Wednesday declined to press for the use of Merck & Co's Gardasil in boys and men, opting instead for "permissive" use.

Global immunizations hit record but miss millions

October 21, 2009 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Global efforts to immunize children against life-threatening diseases set a record high last year but failed to protect millions of youngsters in the world's poorest countries, health officials said on Wednesday.

Virus might be one cause of prostate cancer-study

September 7, 2009 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A virus known to cause leukemia and tumors in animals can be found in some prostate tumors and might be one cause of prostate cancer, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.

Select news items provided by Reuters Health