Throat Cancer Questions

[bloggs45]

Hello, yes I should probably go to the doctors rather than posting on a forum but here I am anyway .

I have had a bad throat now for about 10 week . I have viewed the back of my throat using my phone camera and it was very very red .

I have also had problems with a horsey voice which is the voice box/laryx I can't observe with a phone camera .

I first started by trying to use Ibuprofen to reduce the redness/soarness but this was innafective .

About a week ago I started to use aspirin which has helped reduce the redness of my throat .

My horsey voice seems to come and go now and every now and again when I stick my tongue out there is some pain at the back of my tongue where I can't see .

I can drink liquid and eat food ok with no pain although some foods do seem to leave a soarness feeling for a while.

I have no sort of throat whistle and it doesn't seem blocked but occasionally there is a soarness .

I also think I may have a tonsil stone .

My Lymph nodes seem to be ok in the neck area and I have no ear ache .

Feeling there is something in my throat has lessened since I started to use aspirin .

Should I be concerned ?

[mlapsychology]

First off, you're right that seeing a doctor is the best move here, especially since this has been going on for 10 weeks. While some symptoms could be from something relatively harmless (like lingering viral inflammation, reflux, or post-nasal drip), others like the persistent hoarseness and pain at the base of your tongue are worth checking out properly. Throat cancer is rare, but those are symptoms that ENT specialists take seriously, especially if they last more than a few weeks.

Some thoughts on what you mentioned:

Persistent hoarseness (especially for more than 2–3 weeks) is a red flag that should be looked at by a specialist. It's often caused by something benign, like vocal strain or reflux, but it can also point to something more serious.

Pain at the base of the tongue and a feeling like something's stuck could relate to tonsil issues, irritation from reflux, or something else going on deeper in the throat.

The improvement with aspirin might just be due to its anti-inflammatory effect, but it's treating the symptom, not the cause.

Tonsil stones are pretty common and usually harmless, but they can cause irritation or a feeling of something in the throat.

The lack of swollen lymph nodes, trouble swallowing, or ear pain is reassuring but not enough to rule anything out.

Bottom line: your symptoms have been going on long enough that they need a proper look with the right tools (like a scope to see your larynx). It’s not overreacting to get this checked out, and honestly, it’s the smart move.

Hope it turns out to be something minor but best to know for sure.