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Head and neck cancer can have various signs and symptoms, including lumps, difficulty eating or swallowing, changes in voice, pain, headaches, and vision problems. It is important to seek medical attention for any unusual symptoms that persist.
Head and neck cancer is not a single type of cancer, but any of a variety of different cancers, including throat cancer, brain cancer, and mouth cancer. With so many different areas involved, head and neck cancer can have many different signs and symptoms. Some of the most common include unexplained lumps, headaches, and difficulty eating or swallowing.
Lumps are often the first head and neck cancer symptoms to notice. With thyroid cancer, a lump may be felt from the outside, just above the thyroid gland in the front of the neck. Salivary gland cancer causes lumps in and around the mouth area. Many different cancers can involve the lymph nodes, glands located just under the jaw on either side of the neck, causing them to swell and feel tender.
Symptoms such as changes in voice can indicate cancer of the thyroid, larynx, or other areas of the throat. These can get worse as the tumor grows and the throat tissue becomes more and more damaged. Voice possibilities typically occur when cancer is growing on or near the larynx, or when tumor growth is interfering with laryngeal function.
Difficulty swallowing is also one of the most common symptoms of head and neck cancer. It can be caused by any of the cancers affecting the throat area, including thyroid cancer, larynx cancer, and tonsil cancer. The problem is usually the result of cancer growing in open areas of the throat, blocking the passage of food and liquids.
Pain can be present with any type of cancer, depending on where it’s growing. The pain is at the site of the cancer or may be referred to pain from another area, caused by a tumor pressing on an adjacent nerve or tissue. With cancer in areas of the head where the lumps can’t be felt from the outside, pain is often the first indication of a serious problem.
Frequent, unexplained headaches and vision problems are very common symptoms of cancer. These can be caused by cancer anywhere in the head, such as on the optic nerve or in different areas of the brain. How strong the symptoms are depends on how big the tumors are and where the cancer is growing.
Some or all of the symptoms of head and neck cancer can be present with various types of cancer. It is important for people to recognize what is normal and what is not. Anything unusual that doesn’t clear up on its own in a short time should be examined by a doctor to make sure it doesn’t indicate a serious problem.
