{"id":1203,"date":"2019-12-05T12:07:34","date_gmt":"2019-12-05T00:07:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.citydentists.co.nz\/dental-blog\/oral-health-wellbeing\/what-is-oropharyngeal-cancer\/"},"modified":"2025-03-01T16:24:42","modified_gmt":"2025-03-01T04:24:42","slug":"what-is-oropharyngeal-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.citydentists.co.nz\/dental-blog\/what-is-oropharyngeal-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"What is oropharyngeal cancer?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Visiting the dentist regularly, in combination with brushing and flossing<\/a> twice daily, goes beyond keeping your teeth as clean as can be. It can also enable you to act quickly on manifestations of disease. One of the more serious kinds is called oropharyngeal cancer. Here is what you need to know about this form of cancer’s physical symptoms and side effects that can result and lead to diagnosis.<\/p>\n

What is oropharyngeal cancer all about?<\/strong>
\nOropharyngeal cancer is a type of oral cancer, which forms on the oropharynx, hence the name. The pharynx is the central portion of your throat that starts at the interior base of your nose and extends all the way down the neck and into the stomach, or more specifically, the esophagus. Much like your throat and the stomach, the oropharynx is composed of many parts and in addition to the walls that line it, it also includes the very back of your mouth, tonsils and base of your tongue.<\/p>\n

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\"SeniorA sore throat and painful swallowing are classic symptoms of oropharyngeal cancer.<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

How common is oropharyngeal cancer?<\/strong>
\nIn New Zealand, specifically, oropharyngeal cancer is fairly rare. According to the Cancer Society, between 2% and 4% of all cancers<\/a> in the country are throat-related, with an estimated 300 new oropharyngeal cancers diagnosed annually. Globally, however, there are roughly 450,000 new throat-related cancer cases, based on estimates from the World Health Organisation and the Oral Cancer Foundation.<\/p>\n

What causes oropharyngeal cancer?<\/strong>
\nWhile there’s no known root cause of oropharyngeal cancer, certain activities and viruses can increase the risk of developing the disease. Chief among them is smoking<\/a>. The rate of smoking is down globally – as well as in New Zealand, down to 13.1% in 2018 from 15.1% in 2013, according to the latest Census data – but it still remains common enough to warrant concern. Those who smoke multiple packs per day – and over several years – may have a higher likelihood of developing symptoms associated with oropharyngeal cancer.<\/p>\n

The human papilloma virus (HRV), one of the more common sexually transmitted diseases, is also a known risk factor for oropharyngeal cancer. It’s spread through sexual contact and identifiable by the development of warts. Frequently, HPV clears up on its own, but when the signs and symptoms don’t diminish after several years, oral cancer risk rises, according to the Cancer Society.<\/p>\n

Here are a few other lifestyle factors that may increase the chances of oropharyngeal cancer development:<\/p>\n