Do people with throat cancer lose weight?

Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
Updated on March 30, 2025
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Throat cancer is a relatively common ENT disease. Some throat cancer patients may experience weight loss, mainly in the middle and late stages of the disease. This is because these patients generally have a more severe condition, possibly leading to insufficient nutrition. Additionally, throat cancer might affect normal swallowing, thus further accentuating weight loss. Early stage throat cancer, generally, does not lead to significant weight loss. For middle and late-stage patients, comprehensive treatment plans including surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy need to be considered. After treatment, long-term and regular follow-up exams are necessary to monitor the treatment effects. Overall, the earlier the detection and the more timely the treatment, the better the outcomes.

Other Voices

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Written by Xu Qing Tian
Otolaryngology
41sec home-news-image

What causes throat cancer?

Laryngeal cancer is a common malignant tumor in daily life. Its occurrence is due to factors related to long-term smoking, drinking, and stimulation from physical and chemical factors in the air or work environment. For patients with laryngeal cancer, it is usually necessary to make a definitive diagnosis through examinations such as electronic nasopharyngoscopy, electronic laryngoscopy, and CT of the larynx. Particularly when the patient presents symptoms such as hoarseness, cough with blood, and breathing difficulty, it should draw the patient's attention to seek timely medical examination at a hospital, aiming for early detection and early treatment.

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Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
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Is throat cancer prone to recurrence?

Throat cancer indeed may recur, but the specific chances and extent of recurrence vary greatly among individuals. Generally speaking, the probability of recurrence is much lower in early-stage throat cancer compared to mid and late stages. For early-stage throat cancer, surgery or radiotherapy is primarily recommended. The first two years are very critical; if there is no recurrence within two years, the likelihood of recurrence is relatively smaller. Then, the next milestone is five years; the five-year survival rate is very significant. If there is no recurrence within five years, it can generally meet the criteria for clinical cure. However, even after five years, a small portion of patients might still experience recurrence, hence the necessity to persist with long-term follow-up examinations.

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Written by Sun Ming Yue
Medical Oncology
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Will throat cancer recur after surgery?

After undergoing surgical treatment for throat cancer, it is important to pay attention to your diet, arrange your daily routine reasonably, maintain a cheerful mood, and have regular follow-up exams as directed by your doctor. Generally, there is a possibility of recurrence within five years. It is recommended to consume some traditional Chinese medicines that have good anti-tumor effects to prevent the recurrence of the disease. Additionally, change your physical constitution and enhance your body's immunity.

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Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
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Can throat cancer be contagious?

Laryngeal cancer is a malignant tumor of the larynx, which is clinically primarily squamous cell carcinoma and belongs to epithelial malignancies. Generally, epithelial malignancies are not contagious. However, laryngeal cancer may sometimes be related to certain viral infections, such as papillomatosis, which might be contagious. This is an aspect of its etiology, but laryngeal cancer itself is not contagious. In summary, laryngeal cancer is not contagious. It is a malignant tumor disease, and its clinical treatment mainly involves surgical intervention, which can be supplemented with radiation therapy and other treatments.

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Written by Xu Qing Tian
Otolaryngology
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Pre-cancerous symptoms of throat cancer

Laryngeal cancer is a common disease in otolaryngology and a type of malignant tumor, which is divided into primary laryngeal cancer and secondary laryngeal cancer. The main clinical symptoms of laryngeal cancer in its early stages often include hoarseness, cough, and lymph node enlargement, among others. Patients can use indirect laryngoscopy or electronic nasopharyngoscopy to detect tumors located in the pharyngeal area, and a local pathological biopsy can be performed for diagnosis. When the tumor is identified as malignant, it is essential to initiate prompt and active treatment. The common method is to surgically remove the detected tumor to achieve clinical cure.