How is Stage 2 Throat Cancer Treated?
In stage 2 throat cancer, the original tumour has usually not spread to the lymph nodes, and cancer has not metastasized to any distant parts of the body.
Since these tumours have not started invading nearby tissues, they can be treated with a fair amount of accuracy with organ conservative surgeries, coupled with or without adjuvant radiation treatments.
Treatment for Stage 2 throat cancer patient
Stage 2 throat cancer treatment is similar in practice to stage 1 treatments for the disease because they are both early-stage forms of throat cancer with similar tumour progression.
Patients with stage 2 throat cancer generally respond well to conservative surgery coupled with radiation therapy. Chemotherapy is sometimes administered to stage 2 patients in a combination with radiation (also called chemoradiotherapy). Chemoradiotherapy can be given directly to stage 2 oropharyngeal throat cancer patients, but it is generally used as a post-operative treatment (adjuvant therapy) to remove any residual traces of cancer cells that may have been left behind.
For cancers that originate in the back of the tongue, the soft palate, or the tonsils, the primary treatment is radiation therapy (targeted at the site of an original tumour, and to the lymph nodes in the neck).
Radiation therapy can also be avoided altogether by opting for a complete surgical removal of a tumour, parts of the healthy tissue (margin) and the complete removal of lymph nodes in the neck. If any signs of residual cancer are seen in follow-up scans, chemoradiation therapy can be advised.
