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05
Feb 2019
Persistent sore throat could be sign of cancer
New research recommends that GPs who have patients presenting with a persistent sore throat when combined with earache, trouble swallowing or shortness of breath, should consider the possibility of cancer being the cause.
It is currently recommended that patients with ongoing hoarseness or an unexplained neck lump should be investigated for laryngeal or throat cancer.
Cancer Research UK have said patients should not be alarmed, the charity’s Weilin Wu said “A sore throat on its own wasn’t linked to laryngeal cancer.
“But importantly, this study also provides the best evidence to date to support the current recommendation to refer older patients with persistent hoarseness.”
There are currently around 2,000 new cases of laryngeal cancer each year in the UK.
The research, conducted by the University of Exeter and published in the British Journal of General Practice, studied patient records from over 600 GP practices and looked at 806 patients diagnosed with the cancer.
Dr Elizabeth Shephard, lead author of the study, said this was the first look at the symptoms which might be significant in the disease.
“The significance of the study really is that we’ve found that hoarseness is important for laryngeal cancer, but significantly the risk of having laryngeal cancer greatly increases when combined with a recurrent sore throat.”
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Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.
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