Subtle symptoms of throat cancer including a few that seem harmless after Val Kilmers death at 65

Hollywood legend Val Kilmer has died at 65 from pneumonia following a decade-long health battle.The actor was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 and subsequently underwent chemotherapy, radiation and two tracheotomies that permanently affected his ability to speak and breath naturally. While Kilmer was eventually declared cancer-free, he spoke publicly about the lasting effects of the illness and its treatments on his health.Before his diagnosis, he said he noticed subtle symptoms that turned out to be signs of the deadly disease. Here’s what to watch out for.Throat cancer — an umbrella term for cancers that develop in the larynx (voice box) and the pharynx, a muscular tube in the neck that starts behind the nose and opens into the larynx and esophagus — often flies under the radar in its early stages, with symptoms typically not showing up until the disease has progressed.

When symptoms do appear, they’re often mistaken for something less serious, like a cold or allergies, according to the Cleveland Clinic.“One of the early signs are changes to your voice like a hoarseness or gravelly sound which persists for a number of weeks with no additional signs of flu,” Dr.Gareth Nye, a biomedical science lecturer at the University of Salford, told Yahoo Life. Other symptoms may include: Experts say that if you experience any of the symptoms above for longer than two weeks, it’s time to get checked by a doctor. For Kilmer, his health troubles began in 2014 when he noticed a large lump in his throat.

He also struggled to swallow and even woke up in a pool of his own blood on several occasions, according to the New York Times Magazine.Around 31,000 people in the US are diagnosed with throat cancer each year, making it relatively rare compared to other cancers.The American Cancer Society estimates that 12,770 people die annually from cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx, while laryngeal cancers claim about 3,910 lives each year.While throat cancer can a...