This Is When Your Sore Throat May Be A Sign Of Cancer

A persistent sore throat combined with other low-level symptoms could be a warning sign for a type of throat cancer, GPs have been warned.

Researchers from the University of Exeter studied more than 800 patients diagnosed with cancer of the larynx, compared to 3,500 control people.

They found those with a persistent sore throat combined with shortness of breath, problems swallowing, or an earache had more than a 5% risk of the throat cancer. If the sore throat was accompanied by hoarseness, there was a 2.7% increased risk of cancer.

Study co-author Professor Willie Hamilton, of the University of Exeter Medical School, said: “Our research has shown the potential severity of some symptom combinations previously thought to be low-risk.”

So should we be worried?

[Read More: Antibiotics won’t help most sore throats, health experts say]