Throat cancer develops over time due to a combination of risk factors. These include tobacco use, harmful alcohol consumption, persistent infection with human papillomavirus (HPV), poor oral hygiene, and long-term irritation of throat tissues.
It is important to emphasise that HPV is one of several risk factors and not a direct or sole cause of cancer, as most people exposed to HPV do not develop cancer.
Throat cancer refers to cancers that affect the throat, voice box (larynx), oropharynx, which is the back part of the mouth and upper throat. The disease develops when normal cells in these areas undergo abnormal changes and begin to grow uncontrollably, forming tumours that can affect swallowing, speech, and breathing.
Early symptoms of throat cancer are often ignored or mistaken for minor infections. These include persistent sore throat, long-lasting hoarseness or voice changes, difficulty or pain when swallowing, unexplained ear pain, a persistent cough, a feeling of a lump or obstruction in the throat, swelling in the neck, and unexplained weight loss. However, early detection significantly improves treatment outcomes and survival rates, while delayed diagnosis often leads to more advanced and difficult-to-treat disease.
Worse still, cases of throat cancer among young people in Zambia are rapidly increasing. Health experts attribute the trend partly to risky sexual behaviours such as oral sex, which many youths continue to engage in without fully understanding the possible health consequences.
Health Minister Dr. Alex Katakwe raised concern over the increasing cases of throat cancer among young people, attributing the trend to risky sexual behaviours such as oral sex.
During the launch of the construction of a new Cancer Diseases Hospital in Livingstone, Dr. Katakwe said health authorities are observing a worrying rise in throat cancer cases, especially among adolescents and young adults.
“A lot of our young adults and adolescents are presenting with an increased incidence of throat cancer, and it has been alluded to sexual behaviour where the mouth is used for other purposes, creating an entry point for pathogens,” he said.
Meanwhile, Director General at Medical for Quality Healthcare in Zambia (MQHZ), Dr. Quince Mwabu, says MQHZ is deeply concerned about the increasing reports and clinical observations of throat cancer cases among young people in Zambia.
This development calls for strengthened public health awareness, early detection, improved access to care, and sustained prevention efforts to reduce late diagnosis and avoidable deaths.