Hypopharyngeal Cancer

Hypopharyngeal cancer is a disease in which malignant cells form in the tissues of the hypopharynx, the bottom part of the pharynx, also known as the throat. Most hypopharyngeal cancers form in squamous cells, the thin, flat cells that line the inside of the hypopharynx. The hypopharynx has three different areas, and cancer may be found in one or more of these areas.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) estimates that about 2,500 cases of hypopharyngeal cancer are diagnosed in the United States each year.

Hypopharyngeal cancer is a type of head and neck cancer. The NCI estimated that approximately 72,680 cases of head and neck cancer would be diagnosed in the United States in 2025, and about 16,680 people would die from these cancers.

Risk factors for hypopharyngeal cancer include smoking and chewing tobacco, heavy alcohol use, eating a diet without enough nutrients, and having Plummer-Vinson syndrome.

Hypopharyngeal Cancer Treatment (Adult) (PDQ®)

Source: National Cancer Institute