Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Do Persistent Throat Pain And Irritation Indicate Throat Cancer?
Question: hi doc ,
It started with a throat pain I went to urgent care . They gave me azithromycin . Then started havin lump feelin in throat .ENT saud it could be respiratory infection and asked me to take steroids for inflammation . Took for8 days stopped as was havin black stool. Felt lil better . But still having throat irritation, swallowing difficulty, ear pain right side , any food which is not blood aggravates or irritates my throat , belching too as soon as myy eat. Did barium swallowing test , reflux , GI endoscopy and abdomen CT scan all normal . Worried it could be throat cancer .
It started with a throat pain I went to urgent care . They gave me azithromycin . Then started havin lump feelin in throat .ENT saud it could be respiratory infection and asked me to take steroids for inflammation . Took for8 days stopped as was havin black stool. Felt lil better . But still having throat irritation, swallowing difficulty, ear pain right side , any food which is not blood aggravates or irritates my throat , belching too as soon as myy eat. Did barium swallowing test , reflux , GI endoscopy and abdomen CT scan all normal . Worried it could be throat cancer .
Brief Answer:
Throat cancer would have been picked up by the CT scan if it were present
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX and welcome.
Thank you for writing to us.
I have gone through your query with diligence and would like you to know that I am here to help. If it were throat cancer, then the CT scan would have hinted towards it. But as your ĆT scan was normal, cancer can be ruled out.
Based on your symptoms I still suspect a condition relating to acid reflux called gastroscope ahead reflux disease (GERD) and would like to know if a 24-hour acid monitoring was done? If it wasn't conducted then please request your doctor to get this done so we can actually rule out acid reflux.
I would also like to list a few symptoms, please feel free to write back to me with a YES or NO next to the symptoms which are present or absent respectively.
+Regurgitation of food or bitter liquid into the mouth (some times seen after overeating, or eating fried or oily food or even after smoking or alcohol intake)
+Sore throat
+Hoarseness of voice
+Sensation or feeling of a lump in your throat
+Chest pain
+Dry cough
+Difficulty swallowing at times
+Heartburn (burning sensation in the chest region, but some times spreads from the throat)
I also have a few suggestions for you:
-Avoid overeating
-Have 5-6 smaller meals instead of 2-3 large ones
-Avoid smoking
-Avoid alcohol
-Do not crash diet and do not leave too long gaps between meals
-Drink plenty of water
-Avoid carbonated drinks
-Avoid spicy/fried/oily/fatty food
-Avoid stress
Avoid taking unnecessary medications
Avoid rigorous exercise
I hope you find my response both helpful and informative. Please feel free to write back to me for any further clarifications, I am always here to help,
Best wishes.
Throat cancer would have been picked up by the CT scan if it were present
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX and welcome.
Thank you for writing to us.
I have gone through your query with diligence and would like you to know that I am here to help. If it were throat cancer, then the CT scan would have hinted towards it. But as your ĆT scan was normal, cancer can be ruled out.
Based on your symptoms I still suspect a condition relating to acid reflux called gastroscope ahead reflux disease (GERD) and would like to know if a 24-hour acid monitoring was done? If it wasn't conducted then please request your doctor to get this done so we can actually rule out acid reflux.
I would also like to list a few symptoms, please feel free to write back to me with a YES or NO next to the symptoms which are present or absent respectively.
+Regurgitation of food or bitter liquid into the mouth (some times seen after overeating, or eating fried or oily food or even after smoking or alcohol intake)
+Sore throat
+Hoarseness of voice
+Sensation or feeling of a lump in your throat
+Chest pain
+Dry cough
+Difficulty swallowing at times
+Heartburn (burning sensation in the chest region, but some times spreads from the throat)
I also have a few suggestions for you:
-Avoid overeating
-Have 5-6 smaller meals instead of 2-3 large ones
-Avoid smoking
-Avoid alcohol
-Do not crash diet and do not leave too long gaps between meals
-Drink plenty of water
-Avoid carbonated drinks
-Avoid spicy/fried/oily/fatty food
-Avoid stress
Avoid taking unnecessary medications
Avoid rigorous exercise
I hope you find my response both helpful and informative. Please feel free to write back to me for any further clarifications, I am always here to help,
Best wishes.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hello doc,
Thanks for your response. CT scan was done for my abdomen . Only Barium swallowing test , thyroid ultrasound and GI endoscopy was done not sure if that helps to find out whether i have any growth or cancer in throat . So really worried .
Yes my ENT did the 24 hour PH test for acid reflux and she said that i dont have acid reflux .
+Regurgitation of food or bitter liquid into the mouth (some times seen after overeating, or eating fried or oily food or even after smoking or alcohol intake)- yes .some kind of weird sensation in mouth
+Sore throat - yes
+Hoarseness of voice - voice stresses when i talk for longer time and gets irritated and voice at times changes
+Sensation or feeling of a lump in your throat - yes i do have it
+Chest pain - i used to have at times chest tightness
+Dry cough - only when my throat is irritated but do feel dry always .
+Difficulty swallowing at times - yes
+Heartburn (burning sensation in the chest region, but some times spreads from the throat) - yes throat burns not chest .
Please do let me know if anything else serious could be going on . My ENT said i have got some respiratory infection like and that would have caused inflammation . It will take some 4 to 6 months to get alright .
Thanks for your response. CT scan was done for my abdomen . Only Barium swallowing test , thyroid ultrasound and GI endoscopy was done not sure if that helps to find out whether i have any growth or cancer in throat . So really worried .
Yes my ENT did the 24 hour PH test for acid reflux and she said that i dont have acid reflux .
+Regurgitation of food or bitter liquid into the mouth (some times seen after overeating, or eating fried or oily food or even after smoking or alcohol intake)- yes .some kind of weird sensation in mouth
+Sore throat - yes
+Hoarseness of voice - voice stresses when i talk for longer time and gets irritated and voice at times changes
+Sensation or feeling of a lump in your throat - yes i do have it
+Chest pain - i used to have at times chest tightness
+Dry cough - only when my throat is irritated but do feel dry always .
+Difficulty swallowing at times - yes
+Heartburn (burning sensation in the chest region, but some times spreads from the throat) - yes throat burns not chest .
Please do let me know if anything else serious could be going on . My ENT said i have got some respiratory infection like and that would have caused inflammation . It will take some 4 to 6 months to get alright .
Brief Answer:
All your symptoms match GERD which is why I still suspect it
Detailed Answer:
Hello once again XXXXXXX
A Barium swallow and thyroid ultrasound would have provided hints towards any possibility of throat cancer.
All the symptoms that I mentioned and asked you to respond are either present or closely present in your case. These are all the symptoms of the condition GERD, as I mentioned earlier.
I still strongly suspect GERD and would like you to repeat a 24-hour acid pH monitoring, especially when your symptoms are aggravated.
The respiratory condition is a possibility, but I cannot really say without a heat X-ray and so if your doctor has found signs of an infection of the throat then you should go ahead and listen to him/her and go about the treatment.
If your doctor is providing a 6 month course this could either be pneumonia or TB. Please take the medications religiously.
But also, try my listed suggestions at the end of my last reply and see if you feel even slightly better. If you do, then my diagnosis of GERD is confirmed. You can also start using pantoprazole (pantodac) or ranitidine (rantac) every time you have your symptoms.
Keep in touch XXXXXXX as the tests have not confirmed any diagnosis I still need to hear from you until you feel better. And you should know that I am always here to help.
Best wishes.
All your symptoms match GERD which is why I still suspect it
Detailed Answer:
Hello once again XXXXXXX
A Barium swallow and thyroid ultrasound would have provided hints towards any possibility of throat cancer.
All the symptoms that I mentioned and asked you to respond are either present or closely present in your case. These are all the symptoms of the condition GERD, as I mentioned earlier.
I still strongly suspect GERD and would like you to repeat a 24-hour acid pH monitoring, especially when your symptoms are aggravated.
The respiratory condition is a possibility, but I cannot really say without a heat X-ray and so if your doctor has found signs of an infection of the throat then you should go ahead and listen to him/her and go about the treatment.
If your doctor is providing a 6 month course this could either be pneumonia or TB. Please take the medications religiously.
But also, try my listed suggestions at the end of my last reply and see if you feel even slightly better. If you do, then my diagnosis of GERD is confirmed. You can also start using pantoprazole (pantodac) or ranitidine (rantac) every time you have your symptoms.
Keep in touch XXXXXXX as the tests have not confirmed any diagnosis I still need to hear from you until you feel better. And you should know that I am always here to help.
Best wishes.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hi Doc ,
Thanks for your reply she did test for cmv , Epstein-bar , pneumonia and whopping cough virus. I came out for positive for cmv , Epstein-bar & pneumonia with antibodies she said these might have re-triggered in your body. So she said it will take 6 months to get alrite . I am not on any medication she gave me steroids for 10 days to heal the inflammation i took for 8 days as it started to hurt my stomach and stopped .
I will attach my test results . ya i will also follow what you said . i was on acid reflux tab for 2 weeks but did not help me much . I am worried i might have hpv virus in throat ?
Thanks for your reply she did test for cmv , Epstein-bar , pneumonia and whopping cough virus. I came out for positive for cmv , Epstein-bar & pneumonia with antibodies she said these might have re-triggered in your body. So she said it will take 6 months to get alrite . I am not on any medication she gave me steroids for 10 days to heal the inflammation i took for 8 days as it started to hurt my stomach and stopped .
I will attach my test results . ya i will also follow what you said . i was on acid reflux tab for 2 weeks but did not help me much . I am worried i might have hpv virus in throat ?
Brief Answer:
Then initiation of treatment will be required at the earliest
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX
You can request your doctor to conduct a test on HPV as well if you feel this is a possibility. But if you are not in any steroids right then you should return to your doctor to start medications for CMV, EBV and pneumonia at the earliest.
Pneumonia can cause a lot of irritation and can result in a slight amount of gastric irritation as well. I would recommend initiation of treatment at the earliest XXXXXXX Do not ignore your health and get treated at the earliest.
Follow my instructions for now to hopefully help with the symptoms. But any one of these recently diagnosed conditions could be causing an aggravation of your symptoms so you should initiate treatment for them.
Keep in touch and keep me updated.
Best wishes.
Then initiation of treatment will be required at the earliest
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX
You can request your doctor to conduct a test on HPV as well if you feel this is a possibility. But if you are not in any steroids right then you should return to your doctor to start medications for CMV, EBV and pneumonia at the earliest.
Pneumonia can cause a lot of irritation and can result in a slight amount of gastric irritation as well. I would recommend initiation of treatment at the earliest XXXXXXX Do not ignore your health and get treated at the earliest.
Follow my instructions for now to hopefully help with the symptoms. But any one of these recently diagnosed conditions could be causing an aggravation of your symptoms so you should initiate treatment for them.
Keep in touch and keep me updated.
Best wishes.
Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
