- India Medical Mission 2018 - November 1, 2018
- Sleep Disorders: Sleep Apnea and Upper Stimulation Therapy - August 25, 2015
- The Naked Vocalist Podcast Featuring Dr. Reena Gupta - May 27, 2015
- New Therapy for Sleep Apnea – First Sleep Pacemaker placed in California at Osborne Head and Neck Institute. - December 12, 2014
- Boxer’s Ear: Can your ear explode? - December 12, 2014
- Nose Picking (Rhinotillexis) and Septal Perforations: Why I should stop picking my nose…? - November 24, 2014
- Deviated Septum and Septal Perforation - July 28, 2014
- Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia: Nasal Septal Perforation Repair - June 25, 2014
- Dr. Mantle recognized at the Beverly Hills Medical Science Academy Awards - May 8, 2014
- Commonly Misdiagnosed Pathologies: Arteriovenous Malformations - April 9, 2014
Michael Douglas has stage IV cancer
The actor tells David Letterman he feels optimistic about recovering from advanced throat cancer.
The Importance of Screening for Head and Neck Cancer
Head and neck cancer has been in the news lately, because Michael Douglas was recently diagnosed with stage 4 throat cancer. “Throat cancer” usually refers to cancer involving the larynx (voice box) or the pharynx (throat) and falls under a group of cancers known as head and neck cancers.
Head and necks cancer risk factors include:
- chronic tobacco and alcohol use
- a genetic predisposition
- reflux disease
- certain viral infections
- family history
However, occasionally no risk factors are present.
Throat cancers, such as the one that actor Michael Douglas has, typically present with symptoms of:
- heartburn (reflux)
- hoarseness
- nagging cough
- ear pain
- sore throat
- difficulty swallowing
What does stage 4 mean?
Cancer is staged on a scale from 1 to 4 based on numerous factors. Michael Douglas’s throat cancer was diagnosed as Stage 4, which means the tumor has spread to another area outside the throat. Stage 1 cancers are typically smaller tumors which have been detected early and carry a high cure rate. When diagnosed early there are many, less-invasive treatment options.
Stage 4 cancers are typically detected later, and have often spread to another location within the body. The cure rates are significantly lower in stage 4 cancers and the treatment options are more invasive and difficult to tolerate.
Your best defense against head and neck cancers is an early screening exam. A thorough head and neck cancer screen can be performed by your otolaryngologist/head and neck surgeon (ear nose and throat doctor).
A message from Dr. Ryan Osborne, Head and Neck Surgeon, Division of Head & Neck Surgical Oncology
Patients often underestimate the importance of being checked for head and neck cancer. They feel that they will “know” or “feel it” when something is wrong. The problem is that by the time you feel it, the problem has often progressed.
I have many patients come to me with more advanced cancer, having thought their primary care doctor or dentist would find a problem if there was one. However, this is not the case. Your Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor has a specialized camera to look into places where your primary physician cannot see.
The hardest cases for me are the ones where a patient had their throat pain checked by their primary care physician, and told it was a cold, only to find out a month later that it was advanced cancer. The head and neck screening exam is vitally important to prevent this.
Head and Neck Cancer Fact Sheet
The most common cancer of the head and neck is Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC)
The risk factors for head and neck SCC are as follows:
- Tobacco products
- Alcohol
- Poor oral hygiene
- Epstein Barr Virus
- Acid reflux
- Genetics
- Radiation exposure
- Second hand smoke
Incidence in the United States of America for SSC of the head and neck is approximately 30,000 new cases per year.
- 15,000 people die from SSC annually
Worldwide prevalence
- 3rd most prevalent cancer
- 1.6 million individuals are living with diagnosis of SSC of the head and neck
If you have any questions regarding head and neck cancer, or are interested in scheduling a screening exam with one of our board-certified head and neck surgeons, call 310-657-0123.
ENT Surgeons, ENT Doctors in Los Angeles, Top ENT Surgeons, Head Cancer Surgery, Neck Cancer Surgeon, Head and Neck Cancer Symptoms
To learn more about Dr. Ryan Osborne or head and neck cancer, visit: www.ohni.org
Contact a Physician at Osborne Head & Neck Institute
If you would like to speak with one of our physicians regarding this issue or another ear, nose, throat problem; or have other questions or concerns, please complete the contact form below or call us at 310-657-0123.
