Is spitting up blood a common sign of oropharynx cancers?

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spittingblood
spittingblood Member Posts: 3
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Hello everyone,

I've posted this on several forums, because I am hoping more people see this and might chime in.  Over the past year, I have had several episodes of spitting up blood.  It's not from bleeding gums or tooth decay.  I feel that the blood is coming from the back of the throat.  Over the past year, I felt that I could taste blood all the time.  But, whenever I would spit, it seemed clear or clearish--maybe slight discoloration from coffee drinking, etc...  However, by the middle of the year, I clearly spit up blood after eating a rough toasted sandwich.  I was spitting up blood on and off for 3-4 days.  Then it stopped.  I thought it was related to my bad GERD that I've had for a long time.  So, I switched up my sleeping position and went on the GERD diet.  I made an appt with an ENT.  I was supposed to see him anyways for a six month post biopsy follow up.  I told him about what happened, and he didn't seem fazed by it.  He just felt up my lymph nodes, said I was fine, and we parted.  Anyways, a month later the same thing happens.  This time, I think it's my acid reflux acting up again.  So, I switch back to my sitting sleep position, and after 3-4 days the blood thing goes away.  I thought, ok, must be acid reflux.  Then it happens AGAIN.  So, I see a new ENT when it's happening.  He scopes me, both sides of nostril, checks my mouth, gags me with his finger, and feels up all of my lymph nodes.  He says he doesn't see anything.  He wants to do a chest X ray, but I've had a few of those already in the past year for TB testing, and they came out fine.

Anyways, just recently, I've been having the blood spitting problem more frequently.  I think if I lie down for awhile, and get up to spit, I can see blood.  Maybe the blood is pooling downwards while I'm sitting so I don't see it as much as lying down.  I really don't know.  I am just wondering, is spitting up blood a common symptom with oropharynx cancer?  Have you guys had this symptom before getting diagnosed?  I know I don't have NPC or oral cancer.  If I have some kind of cancer, I feel it would be related to HPV.  Or, maybe I have esophageal cancer from my long history with GERD.  I don't know.  All I know is that spitting up blood is pretty unusual.

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  • jackflash22
    jackflash22 Member Posts: 524 Member
    #2
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    I've not heard of spitting up

    I've not heard of spitting up blood with oral cancers unless of course it's advanced and it sounds as if your test results haven't proved that. I've heard GERD can cause that problem. Usually the first signs is a swollen gland in the neck.

  • Jeff2159
    Jeff2159 Member Posts: 108
    #3
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    Coughing up Blood

    This is an issue I'm dealing with now in the morning. At first it was just a spot of blood and would only happen once in the morning. After a month it is happening more and the amount though small has increased. I believe mine is from lung nodules and hopefully will have a better understanding after my PET scan in 9 days.

    good luck

    Jeff

  • ErthWlkr
    ErthWlkr Member Posts: 60
    #4
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    Source of bleeding

    Hello -

    I would think unless the bleeding is constant, it would be difficult to nail down the source. I'm thinking that the source may be deeper down and GERD just might be the hint as to where it is. I know it's frustrating - but you must pursue this. Even if the bleeding is on and off it can lead to other problems other than just being a symptom of the cause.

    How long have you had GERD? Are you taking an antacid? Have you ever had an endosocopy done where the scope you all the way down into your espopahagus and into your stomach? If you've had ongoing GERD without treatment you may have damaged the lower end of your esophagus and possibly you may be getting blood coming up from as low an area as your stomach.

    Have you had any change in color in your stools? Do they look black? That's an indication of bleeding in the lower esophagus and stomach. Has anyone asked you that question?

    When you spit up blood, is there any sensation like acidity?

    Is there any sensation of pain?

    The fact that you're getting blood coming up after you're lying down also makes me think it's coming from lower down.

    I would suggest trying a gastroenterologist who can offer the gastroscope as a way of visualizing the areas I mentioned. An ENT might not be going deep enough.

    I'm not a doctor so please take my comments as only my opinion. But keep pursuing this. It might not be cancer but it's still something that needs to be diagnosed.

    Let us know what you decide and what the outcome is. I do hope the source is found and taken care of..

    - Jeff

  • wmc
    wmc Member Posts: 1,804
    #5
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    Jeff2159 said:

    Coughing up Blood

    This is an issue I'm dealing with now in the morning. At first it was just a spot of blood and would only happen once in the morning. After a month it is happening more and the amount though small has increased. I believe mine is from lung nodules and hopefully will have a better understanding after my PET scan in 9 days.

    good luck

    Jeff

    Coughing up Blood.....Get to a DR...NOW Jeff

    First let me say the next time you do cough up any blood. do it on a tissue paper and take a photo with your phone. Then when you tell your doctor you can show him and there is no problem to what you mean. It might just be a small blood vessel that broke open and be nothing to be concerned with. But have it checked...........

    I first started small amounts, just red streaks in the mucus. Bright red is fresh and darker is not fresh like a blood vessel. Very dark is what mine got to and a lot at one time [up to 2 onces] Now you have a choise. I had GURD and COPD stage3. Go to a pulmonary doctor and not the Gastroenterologist. The reason is the GI Dr won't really look until he is past your vocal cords in the esophagus. My tumor was just above the vocal cords and that is what was bleeding. The pulmonary Dr will also check your lungs as well. Get scopped asap. I told my Dr I was coughing up blood, but when I showed him the photos on my phone is when he got serious and got me to my lung Dr ASAP. They found my tumor.

    Spitting blood will most likely be small and very red and not dark, as well it is coming from the mouth or tongue and an ENT would find anything if there was something. 

    Bill Oct 2013 SCC of larynx

  • spittingblood
    spittingblood Member Posts: 3
    #6
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    Hello everyone,
    Much thanks

    Hello everyone,

    Much thanks for all of the responses!  Really helpful.  So far, the bleeding has stopped again.  I have taken pictures, and I will show them to the ENT in Dec. for my 6 month follow up.  I suppose this blood spitting thing has me more paranoid since a year ago, I had a biopsy for an enlarged lymph node in my neck.  It came back benign viral lymphadenopathy.  But, I have several more under my chin and neck that is being monitored for changes by the ENT.  So, I'm a little bit freaked out by the new symptom. 

    The blood is very bright red, so I'm guessing it is coming up near the oropharynx as opposed to something deeper in the lungs.  By the way, Bill, did an ENT scope you and find the tumor on your vocal cord?  I have some pics of my vocal cords from a digital endoscopy.  This was way back when I had really bad GERD, and it was very inflammed and nasty.  I will keep monitoring for blood and take pics. 

     

    ErthWlkr, I think it's prudent for me to see a GI for a full gastroscope.  I've had GERD now for 7 years.  It was really bad, but I have it mostly controlled now via diet.  I worry about Barret's Esophagus since my aunt has that.  So, it's possible I may have issues deeper down.  I've read about esophageal varices, so that might be the case.  Anyways, I was just wondering if people with oropharynx type cancers, like tonsillar, base of tongue, back of throat, see this symptom.

     

     

     

  • wmc
    wmc Member Posts: 1,804
    #7
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    spittingblood said:

    Hello everyone,
    Much thanks

    Hello everyone,

    Much thanks for all of the responses!  Really helpful.  So far, the bleeding has stopped again.  I have taken pictures, and I will show them to the ENT in Dec. for my 6 month follow up.  I suppose this blood spitting thing has me more paranoid since a year ago, I had a biopsy for an enlarged lymph node in my neck.  It came back benign viral lymphadenopathy.  But, I have several more under my chin and neck that is being monitored for changes by the ENT.  So, I'm a little bit freaked out by the new symptom. 

    The blood is very bright red, so I'm guessing it is coming up near the oropharynx as opposed to something deeper in the lungs.  By the way, Bill, did an ENT scope you and find the tumor on your vocal cord?  I have some pics of my vocal cords from a digital endoscopy.  This was way back when I had really bad GERD, and it was very inflammed and nasty.  I will keep monitoring for blood and take pics. 

     

    ErthWlkr, I think it's prudent for me to see a GI for a full gastroscope.  I've had GERD now for 7 years.  It was really bad, but I have it mostly controlled now via diet.  I worry about Barret's Esophagus since my aunt has that.  So, it's possible I may have issues deeper down.  I've read about esophageal varices, so that might be the case.  Anyways, I was just wondering if people with oropharynx type cancers, like tonsillar, base of tongue, back of throat, see this symptom.

     

     

     

    The tumor on your vocal cord

    I was having my lungs scoped to see if that was where the blood was coming from, they though it might have been an air sack ruptured. He never got past my vocal cords, I had problems when he tried. He did a brushing on the tumor only. He was afread if he did a biopsy he could not stop the bleeding so he did a brushing and it showed positive SCC. I also had what is called silent asperation. Food and liquid went down the wrong pipe and I did not cough from it. My Pulmonary doctor called Stanford and I was there the next week. The tumor board only meets on Thursday, so I was seen by the tumor board. I had not been seen by a ENT until Stanford.

    Bill

  • acr123
    acr123 Member Posts: 1
    #8
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    blood in my spit

    I'm getting similar symtoms.

    Any update on this?

    Thanks

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