Major Throat Cancer Symptoms

Weight Loss

Weight loss occurs when an individual consumes fewer calories than the cells in their body are working off or converting into cellular energy. Healthy cells require calories to produce the cellular energy that allows them to carry out their differentiated functions properly. Cancerous cells also require calories to produce their energy. The number of cancer cells in an affected individual's body can take up the bulk of the calories they are consuming in their diet before healthy cells can use them. This rapid burning of calories by cancerous cells causes weight loss due to a negative energy balance in the patient's body. In addition, throat cancer can make it mechanically difficult and even painful for patients to consume enough calories through their diet, resulting in weight loss.

Constant Urge To Clear The Throat

Most healthy individuals have the urge to clear their throat from time to time as a response to certain allergens or irritants that come in contact with these tissues. Others just make a habit of occasionally clearing their throat. However, frequently or constantly clearing the throat is not normal, especially when it is done because the individual feels as if something is stuck in or tickling their throat. Damaged cells in the throat can form a mass after they have undergone the process of carcinogenesis or cancer development due to a DNA mutation. The malignant mass in the throat can grow to a significant size and cause the nerve fibers in the neighboring areas and tissues to become irritated. The irritated nerve fibers send signals to the brain that cause individuals to feel a sensation in the throat that produces an urge to clear it.