Throat cancer prognosis

Stage 4 throat cancer accounts for about 3% of adult malignancies in the United States. According to statistics, about 89% of cases are men and are most likely to die from such an affliction than women. Unfortunately, about 70% of cases are already on advanced stages when a person is diagnosed. But the most common culprit to this disease is something that almost everyone does and neglect, smoking.

Throat cancer or oropharnygeal carcinoma is basically the rapid growth of cells in the throat. It is classified into 4 stages in which stage 4 throat cancer is known to be a severe case in which it has already spreads to the mouth and even other organs. Aside from smoking, alcohol consumption also contributes in causing the disease, although, race and genetics also play a role in this. Other causes are poor nutrition, exposure to human papillomavirus, occupational hazards and even common conditions like gastric reflux can increase your risk in getting the disease.

Stage 4 throat cancer survival rate primarily depends on the general condition of the patient, the aggressiveness of the treatment and to a certain degree the will power of the patient. However, it is good to note that the survival rate is relatively high. Early stages of the disease account about 90% while those on advanced stages would get about 30% chance of survival which is generally high compared to other advanced stage of other cancers. As mentioned earlier, with proper and early treatment, good support systems and maintaining good health can greatly increase the chance of surviving the disease.

Further, Stage 4 throat cancer prognosis would also be dependent on how well it is staged. This would require diagnostic examinations like biopsies to advanced imaging procedures like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Proper staging is important because this will greatly help the medical team in properly treating the patient. However, it is important to note, that there are cases the patient may not reach the 5-year survival rate due to problem of recurrence. Total remission can only be issued if the patient will go beyond that 5 years without the tumor reappearing.

In a nutshell, this type of cancer is very preventable since most of the causative factors are primarily from a person's lifestyle. So, in this case and in any other kind of disease condition, prevention is better than cure. So start beating the habit of smoking and alcoholism. Follow a good exercise regimen and proper nutrition must also be observed. Also, if you're experiencing sudden onset of difficulty of swallowing and other unusual symptoms, always consult a doctor because early diagnosis can have good prognosis.

Stage 4 throat cancer has gripped quite a lot of people even the legendary Michael Douglas had it. But with early detection, proper treatment and with the will power to make it through, you can win over this deadly disease.