What are the telltale signs of throat/mouth cancer?

Depends: Visualization of the mass / area by the patient or a medical / dental practitioner. Patient having difficulty swallowing, spitting up blood, painful swallowing, physical size of the mass can be associated with oral / throat cancer.

Odd tissue: Oral cancer presents in many forms. From a rash to an ulcer to a raised module to a wart-like exuberant growth. A cancer can be expected to exhibit little to no pain, to bleed (sometimes apparently spontaneously). Ulcerations that do not go away are suspect as well. Your dentist should provide a thorough head and neck cancer screening every year.

Depends on site: The site of the cancer determines symptoms. A mouth cancer can cause mouth pain, tonsil and throat cancer can cause throat pain and difficulty swallowing, and larynx cancer can cause pain and hoarseness. Not infrequently throat and larynx cancer has no symptoms but shows with a large neck node or ear pain. Seek ENT care if any of these symptoms are present for more than 3 weeks.

Signs/Symptoms: See oral surgeon or ENT doc if you have any of these symptoms: Persistent mouth sore, persistent mouth pain, a lump or thickening in the cheek, a white/red patch on the gums, tongue, tonsil, or lining of the mouth, a sore throat, hoarseness or feeling that something is caught in the throat that does not go away, difficulty swallowing/chewing.