Uncle Sam would be shocked when he finds out that 3% of the American population who has cancer has stage 4 throat cancers. Based on national statistics, the bulk of the cases are usually men and they have twice the likelihood of dying from it than women. Worst still, people who are diagnosed are already on the advanced stages. The even sadder thing about his disease is that it can be prevented just by doing one important thing - stop smoking.
Oropharnygeal cancer is the sudden fast growth of the cells in your larynx. It has 4 distinct stages and severity increases as the patient advances. As mentioned before, the most common culprit is tobacco use but alcohol abuse also contributes in increasing the risk of developing the disease. Other causes would include cultural practices like the chewing of tobacco, familial disposition, and exposure to certain sexually transmissible infections, work-related hazards and even gastric reflux.
It is good to note that the stage 4 throat cancer survival rate is quite favorable. According to most case studies, there is a 30% chance that the patient with stage 4 throat cancer can survive this type of anomaly while a massive 90% survival rate is suggested to those patients who are in the early stages. But there are factors that will affect this like the overall health of the patient, the skill of the medical team and even the psychological and emotional state of the patient.
While a stage 4 throat cancer prognosis greatly clings on how well the cancer is staged. Staging is very important because it will serve as a guide to treatment and also show how far the cancer has gone. Diagnostics procedures like needle biopsies, pathology reports and advanced imaging modalities like the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are valuable tools in determining the stage of the cancer. Unfortunately, there were cases wherein the tumor came back despite the aggressive therapies and lowers the survival rate to less than five years. This time line is also the gauge in determining total remission.
As mentioned earlier, this type of cancer is very preventable. The primary thing to do is a big lifestyle change. Quitting the habit of smoking, limiting the intake of alcohol, proper nutrition and proper exercise can greatly help in lowering the risk of throat cancer. Equally as important, having a regular check-up with your doctor would also be good for early detection especially since patients cannot feel the symptoms of the disease in its early stages.
Having such an advanced form of cancer is very scary to anyone but with proper staging and treatment, an aggressive support system and the will to never give up, you can beat the crap of throat cancer into a bloody pulp.
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