Throat cancer

Dear BBx,

Thank you for contacting Macmillan. My name is Denise, and I am one of the Macmillan Cancer Information Nurses.

I am sorry to read your partner has been diagnosed with throat cancer and is now waiting for chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Throat cancer is broad term describing a cancer which belongs to the group of cancers called Head and Neck cancers. In head and neck cancers when describing a stage 3 cancer the doctors usually mean cancers which are bigger and spread to the nearby lymph nodes, surrounding tissue or both.

 Please read more about staging and grading of head and neck cancers by clicking here. Sometimes doctors refer to it as locally advanced as these types of cancers tend to only spread in the area where they started.

As we do not have access to NHS records it is difficult for us to know exactly what is going on, but it is reassuring he is starting treatment soon. Once your partner has finished his treatment there will be further scans, tests to see how successful the treatment was.

 It is understandable you are worried about him and would like to help but it is not uncommon people diagnosed with cancer want to protect their loved ones by not talking about their cancer journey.

There is support available and please click here to find out about different ways of helping. It is also important you look after yourself too. Please find information about emotional support for family and friends here.

I hope you find this information helpful. Please do get back in touch with us if you have more questions. The Macmillan Support Line offers practical, clinical, financial, and emotional support. You can call us free from landlines and most mobile phone networks on 0808 808 0000, you can also chat to us or email us 7 days a week, 8am – 8pm.

Kind Regards,

Denise

Cancer Information Nurse Specialist

Ref: DK/AMc