Overview

The oropharynx is the upper part of the throat. It has 3 parts, the right and left tonsil, the posterior wall as the posterior part of the tongue, called base tongue.

Cancers of the oropharynx usually present as a lump felt in the throat, foreign body sensation, one sided sore throat and, or deviation of the tongue. Occasionally, they may present as a lump in the upper neck or a change in voice.

Cancers of this region are usually squamous cell cancers. Lymphomas and other types of cancer may also occur rarely. The usual cause in India is the tobacco habit though in other parts of the world, the most common cause is infection by the Human Papilloma virus (HPV). Oropharyngeal cancers caused by HPV infection have better outcomes than tobacco related cancers.