Award-winning actor Dustin Hoffman is best recognized for his roles in Kramer vs. Kramer and All the President’s Men. The celebrity, who is 84 years old, has had relatively few health difficulties, but a cancer scare when he was 75 caught everyone by surprise.
Little is known about the Hollywood actor’s cancer, including how he was discovered to have it, but according to a 2013 statement made by his agent Jodi Gottlieb, the actor has successfully undergone treatment for throat cancer. The two-time Oscar winner then had to endure additional therapy to be sure the fatal illness did not come back.
Jodi Gottlieb claimed in a statement made exclusively for People that “it was found early and he has been surgically treated.”
The spokesman, however, enigmatically declined to make any additional comments on the subject.
Hoffman has been promoting his maiden directorial effort, Quartet, in the days preceding the news.
Alongside Dame Judi Dench, he had previously been seen in a television production of Roald Dahl’s Esio Trot.
After overcoming cancer, the actor was “feeling wonderful and in good health,” Jodi continued.
Following his diagnosis, the actor was spotted in Los Angeles working on his upcoming production, Chef, a 2014 comedy starring Robert Downey Jr. and Sofia Vergara, and was described as being healthy and upbeat.
According to the Mayo Clinic, throat cancer frequently starts in the pharynx or larynx, which correspond to your throat and voice box, respectively.
Due to the variety of structures and regions within the neck, medical practitioners don’t frequently use the term “cancer of the throat.”
Specific words are only used to distinguish the area of the throat that is afflicted and where the disease originated because the majority of throat cancers involve the same types of cells.
the following types of throat cancer:
The nasopharynx, the area of the throat directly below your nose, is where nasopharyngeal carcinoma first appears.
The oropharynx, which is the area of your throat just behind your mouth where your tonsils are located, is where oropharyngeal cancer first appears.
The lower portion of your throat, right above your esophagus and windpipe, is where hypopharyngeal cancer, also known as laryngopharyngeal cancer, first appears.
In the vocal chords is where glottic cancer starts.
Supraglottic carcinoma, which affects the epiglottis, a piece of cartilage that prevents food from entering your windpipe, starts in the upper part of the voice box.
The lower part of your voice box, below your vocal cords, is where subglottic cancer starts.
The signs and symptoms of throat cancer frequently resemble those of other, far less serious illnesses, such as the flu or the common cold.
According to Cancer Research UK, signs to watch out for include ear ache, a sore throat, and a lump in the neck.
Cancer Research goes on to say that, despite the fact that anyone can develop the ailment, a person’s risk rises with age and that there are very few incidences of throat cancer in those under the age of 40.
In addition to smoking, consuming alcohol, and being a certain gender, there are other variables that can raise your risk of developing certain cancers, including throat cancer.
A link between exposure to particular substances and the risk of laryngeal cancer has also been shown by research published by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC):
During several manufacturing operations, acid mists are created
All forms of asbestos.
Although there are many other treatment methods, radiation and chemotherapy are frequently employed to target and kill cancer cells.
A combination of surgery to remove all or part of the larynx, radiation, and chemotherapy may be utilized if the cancer is advanced. However, people won’t be able to speak or breathe normally after having their larynx removed.
Instead, they will breathe through a stoma, a permanent hole in their neck, and will require further speech and language therapy.
Thankfully, most malignancies are discovered and treated early, just like Dustin. According to the NHS, 65 out of 100 patients will survive for five years or longer following diagnosis, and 55 will survive for more than ten.