Hello, I am a 31 year old stay at home mom. I have been smoking daily for 13 years now not including the on and off time before that. About three months ago I got a really bad sore throat and thought I had strep. The next day I woke up with no signs of a sore throat. That continue to happen on and off until recently. Starting a couple of weeks ago they became more often and now they are daily. It hurts to swallow and talk at times. Eating, drinking and smoking do not hurt anymore than if I were not eating, drinking or smoking. At times my throat stops hurting for a few hours but then just comes back. I have not seen a doctor yet because it was just going away before. Now, I'm getting scared and am going to a doctor. Can anyone offer some insite?

Given your tobacco use history and the symptoms you are describing, you need to have your throat scoped and thoroughly examined. While these symptoms may be something other than cancer, they are also right off the list of warning signs for oral and pharyngeal cancers. Don't put off this exam, if it is something bad, catching things early makes all the difference in surviving it and having the minimum of residual problems when you do. Also, do yourself a favor...stop smoking. This scare should hopefully offer you the motivation to do so, as difficult as it may be for you to quit. Fear is a great motivator for most people. Use it now to change something negative in your life. I hope this turns out to be some chronic infection not related to the disease that some of us have had to deal with. Let us know how your exam turns out.