Soft Palate Cancer

Healthcare providers will ask you about your symptoms. For example, they may ask some of the following questions:

When did you first notice a sore or any other change in the area?
Has the sore gotten bigger?
Does it bleed?
Does it hurt?
Do you have trouble swallowing?
Have you noticed any neck swelling or swollen lymph nodes?
Do you have ear pain? (That is a common sign of oropharyngeal cancer.)

They may ask you about personal habits, such as whether you use tobacco, including smokeless tobacco. They may also ask how often you drink beverages containing alcohol.

They’ll use a small mirror or light to examine your soft palate and check lymph nodes in your neck for signs of swelling.

What tests do healthcare providers use?

Providers use biopsies to obtain tissue samples. Medical pathologists examine tissue samples under microscopes to determine if the tissues contain cancerous cells.

Providers may also do computed tomography (CT) scans to determine tumor size and if it’s spread.

What are soft palate cancer stages?

Cancer staging is the process of determining if cancer is present and, if so, how far it has spread. It helps your healthcare team develop your treatment plan.

Soft palate cancer is a type of oropharyngeal cancer. The stages of oropharyngeal cancer span from Stage I (best prognosis) to Stage IV (worst prognosis). In this instance, providers use the cancer staging system developed by the American Joint Committee on Cancer. This system uses specific information about the tumor’s size, whether it’s spread to nearby lymph nodes and/or to distant organs, and whether or not the cancer is associated with the HPV virus.

Cancer staging is a complicated process to complete, much less explain. It’s understandable if you feel intimidated, confused or unnerved by a process that seems to reduce your illness to a formula of letters and numbers. Your providers understand why you may feel this way. If you’re confused or concerned by what you’re hearing, ask your healthcare provider to explain how the cancer staging system works in your situation.

Symptoms

When to see a doctor

Request an appointment

Complications

Blood clots are a dangerous complication of atrial fibrillation (AFib). Blood clots can lead to stroke.

The risk of stroke from AFib increases as you grow older. Other health conditions also may increase the risk of a stroke due to AFib. These conditions include:

High blood pressure.
Diabetes.
Heart failure.
Some types of heart valve disease.

Blood thinners are commonly prescribed to prevent blood clots and strokes in people with atrial fibrillation.

Prevention

Healthy lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of heart disease and may prevent atrial fibrillation (AFib). Here are some basic heart-healthy tips:

Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
Don't smoke or use tobacco.
Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Reduce and manage stress.

By Freedmans Health Clinic Staff

Living with atrial fibrillation?

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