The signs and symptoms of oropharyngeal, laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer vary depending on the location of the cancer. Some of the most common symptoms are a sore in the throat that does not heal or pain in the throat that does not go away. Individuals also may notice an unusual lump or thickening in the neck.

Other signs and symptoms can include:

• Persistent white (leukoplakia) or red patch on the lining of the throat or tonsils
  
  

• Continual sore throat or feeling that something is caught in the throat
  
  

• Difficulty moving the jaw or tongue or swallowing problems
  
  

• Voice changes or hoarseness
  
  

• Weight loss
  
  
• Persistent bad breath
  
  
• Ear pain
  
  
• Breathing difficulties

Signs and symptoms of nasopharyngeal cancer include the following:

• Hearing loss (especially on one side only)

• Nasal blockage or stuffiness

• Pain

• Nosebleeds

• Difficulty opening the mouth

• Blurred or double vision

Some throat cancers often do not present many symptoms. For example, a neck mass indicating metastasis to the nearby lymph nodes is the only apparent sign of cancer in about one-third of patients with nasopharyngeal cancer.