Skip to main content
An official website of the United States government
Español
Government Funding Lapse
Because of a lapse in government funding, the information on this website may not be up to date, transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted.

The NIH Clinical Center (the research hospital of NIH) is open. For more details about its operating status, please visit cc.nih.gov.

Updates regarding government operating status and resumption of normal operations can be found at opm.gov.

pharyngeal cancer

(fuh-RIN-jee-ul KAN-ser)
Cancer that forms in tissues of the pharynx. The pharynx is the hollow, muscular tube inside the neck that starts behind the nose and opens into the larynx and esophagus. Pharyngeal cancer includes cancer of the nasopharynx (the upper part of the pharynx behind the nose), the oropharynx (the middle part of the pharynx), and the hypopharynx (the bottom part of the pharynx). Most pharyngeal cancers are squamous cell carcinomas (cancers that begin in thin, flat cells that look like fish scales under a microscope).
More Information
Anatomy of the pharynx; drawing shows the nasopharynx, oropharynx, and hypopharynx. Also shown are the nasal cavity, oral cavity, hyoid bone, larynx, esophagus, and trachea.Enlarge this image in new window
Anatomy of the pharynx. The pharynx is a hollow, muscular tube inside the neck that starts behind the nose and opens into the larynx and esophagus. The three parts of the pharynx are the nasopharynx, oropharynx, and hypopharynx.
Search NCI's Dictionary of Cancer Terms