Rakesh Roshan, Hrithik Roshan’s father, underwent surgery for throat cancer.Hrithik Roshan shared on Social Media, that his father was suffering from squamous cell carcinoma involving his throat. It’s important to appreciate that Hrithik Roshan has shared not only about his father’s disease but also that he has undergone surgery and doing well. Celebrities help by sharing their stories and our work is to help them share.
And he’s up and about😊
— Hrithik Roshan (@iHrithik) January 10, 2019
Power of love!
Thank you all for being with him and helping him power through.
Today was a great day. pic.twitter.com/p4DPNokTgO
What should you know about throat cancer or Laryngeal malignancy
What investigations your doctor may suggest?.
Modalities of Treatment available for Laryngeal Malignancy.
What are the factors affecting Treatment choice?.
Types of Malignancy of Larynx according to pathology.
What is the incidence of Laryngeal Malignancy in India.
Symptoms of Laryngeal Cancer
- Initial complaints may vary from hoarseness, that is mild to severe change of your voice
- The onset, duration, progression and whether it improves with voice rest is seen.
- In case of cancer starting in the vocal cord, this is the first symptom.
- Noisy breathing, shortness of breath difficult breathing may occur with the change of position at rest or with increases activity.
- In some cases of laryngeal cancer like subglottic cancer, the first sign may be stridor or noisy breathing
- Foreign body sensation of the throat or something stuck in the throat is a common complaint of supraglottic or subglottic cancer.
- Difficulty swallowing or dysphagia is a rare symptom of laryngeal cancer and is seen to involve the food pipe often.
- Odynophagia
- Haemoptysis
- Hot potato voice
- An associated symptom of referred earache can happen with laryngeal malignancy.
- A cough during eating may be a warning sign of nerve palsy causing aspiration into lungs
Throat cancer signs
Signs of Laryngeal Cancer
There may be a swelling in the neck as the first warning which is seen from outside. There may be a mass or ulcer involving the different parts of the vocal cord and voice box. This mass may also spread to the food pipe. The extent of disease determines symptoms, signs, treatment, and prognosis.
The laryngeal examination will show the growth and extension to some extent.
What investigations your doctor may suggest?
- Fibreoptic laryngoscopy
- Upper GI endoscopy
- Contrast-enhanced computerized tomography from the base of skull till die from direct laryngoscopy and biopsy after the CECT reports are available
- Fine fine Needle Aspiration Cytology from the from the neck swelling for assessment
- Blood work up
Modalities of Treatment available for Laryngeal/Throat Malignancy
- Radiotherapy
- Laser surgery
- Cold surgery with or without post-op Radiotherapy
- Chemotherapy
- Rehabilitation
- Palliation
What are the factors affecting Treatment choice of throat cancer?
- Age
- General health and lung function
- Treatment preference by the patient
- Ability to follow up Very important
- Distance from the treatment facility
- Any previous treatment
- Stage of tumor of the larynx and involvement of surrounding structures.
- Status of neck node
- The site of the laryngeal tumor
If the patient has noisy breathing or stridor, then a preoperative tracheostomy will be needed for stabilizing the person’s respiration
Types of Malignancy of Larynx according to pathology
- Squamous cell cancer 85%
- Carcinoma in situ
- Verrucous
- Undifferentiated
- Adenocarcinoma
- Sarcoma
- Others
What is the incidence of Laryngeal Malignancy in India
More than 10 per 100,000.
Some demographic factors
- Urban more than rural Male more than female
- Risk factors for Laryngeal Malignancy are
- Geography
- Smoking (Images on cigarette packs should give you an idea about the nature of disease)
- Alcoholism (Together smoking and alcoholism is has a stronger effect than either alone)
- Radiation exposure
- Exposure to Asbestos and formaldehyde
- Family history
- Infection of HPV 16
While any malignancy is a challenge, laryngeal malignancy if diagnosed on time, has a good prognosis. You should never give up and get help as soon as possible.
Most Government Hospitals in big cities have facilities for all modes of treatment and medical colleges are centers of excellence. When in doubt you can always go for a second or third opinion but never delay treatment. Every second count. The important thing to remember is while genetics cannot be controlled, you can control risk factors like smoking and alcoholism. May the almighty help Rakesh Roshan and his family while they go through this difficult time.
Disclaimer: This is meant for spreading awareness and not be taken as medical advice. Kindly consult a qualified doctor for consultation. We update articles regularly, but since medical science is fast evolving, the author and the website disclaims all claims of completeness of this article.
References:
- Stell & Maran
- Scott Brown
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Disclaimer: This is meant for spreading awareness and not be taken as medical advice. Kindly consult a qualified doctor for consultation. We update articles regularly, but since medical science is fast evolving, the author and the website disclaims all claims of completeness of this article.
References:
- Stell & Maran
- Scott Brown