Symptoms

The most common symptoms of cancer of the oropharynx are:

• a painless swelling or lump in the upper neck (you may feel this yourself or it may be picked up by your doctor or dentist)
• a sore throat that doesn’t get better
• difficulty in swallowing
• earache that doesn’t get better
• difficulty opening your mouth and jaw (known as trismus)
• bad breath
• changes in your speech
• losing weight.

These symptoms are common in conditions other than cancer, and most people with these symptoms won’t have cancer of the oropharynx.

However, like other cancers, oropharyngeal cancer is best treated when it’s diagnosed at an early stage. Talk to your doctor if you have any of these symptoms and they don’t improve after a few days.