hi

hi question for you guys. i'm a 26 year old male.  the past few days i've had a sore throat which has gotten better but have a sore tongue a strained voice and swollen neck glands. went to the doctor he said I don't have swollen lymph nodes but its swollen when I swallow something and it hurts and tends to get worse at night. i've never experienced this before I do have acid reflux which I take zantac for, and I don't smoke and i've stopped drinking alcohol for the past five days. what are the chances this could be neck cancer? could it be something else?

[Arti Sharma, M.D.]

Hello and hope you are doing well.
The common symptoms of throat cancer are cough, changes in voice, difficulty in swallowing, weight loss, sore throat, ear pain etc.In laryngeal cancer there is pain when swallowing, lump in neck or throat, hoarseness in voice etc.You do not seem to have these symptoms. Acid reflux can result in swallowing problems .Enlarged lymph nodes can be seen in viral infections, skin infection, throat infection, tooth infections etc.A clinical examination and tests like endoscopy and CT scan can confirm the diagnosis of your symptoms. Consult a primary care physician and he may further refer you to  a specialist depending n the findings. I hope it helps.
Best luck and take care!