A persistent sore throat combined with shortness of breath, problems in swallowing or an ear ache is an indication of laryngeal cancer rather than hoarseness alone, a new study warns.
"This research matters - when NICE guidance for cancer investigation was published there was no evidence from GP to guide this - nor to inform GPs. Crucially, hoarseness serious enough to be reported to GPs does warrant investigation," said Willie Hamilton, Professor at the University of Exeter in Britain.
"Furthermore, our research has shown the potential severity of some symptom combinations previously thought to be low-risk.
"There's still some way to go and the results of this study really highlight the need to improve the current recommendations for all of the head and neck cancers - which are either incomplete or absent," said lead author Elizabeth Shephard from the varsity.