Doctors tend not to use the term neck cancer because the throat (pharyngeal cancer) includes many different parts that may be affected by cancer. The main areas that may be affected are:
oropharynx – the side of the neck behind the mouth;
hypopharynx – the neck region that connects the oropharynx of the neck and trachea;
nasopharynx – the area that connects the back of the nose to the back of the mouth.
The most common symptoms of cancer in oropharynx or hypopharynx include a mass in the throat, a persistent sore throat and difficulty in swallowing.
Nasopharyngeal cancer is the most common and affects the neck region that connects the back of the nose to the anterior area of the mouth. Symptoms may include:
swelling in the throat due to the spread of cancer to the lymph nodes;
