C10.3: Malignant neoplasm: Posterior wall of oropharynx

You have pharyngeal cancer, i.e. cancer of the throat.

The tissue in the body is made up of cells. With cancer, the cells multiply uncontrollably, which leads to a malignant neoplasm (abnormal growth of tissue) developing. The cancer cells can destroy the healthy tissue and spread throughout the body.

The throat or pharynx is behind the oral cavity and the nasal cavity. It connects the mouth and nose with the windpipe (trachea) and gullet (oesophagus). There are 3 parts to the pharynx, from top to bottom. At the top the pharynx is connected to the nasal cavity, so this part is called the nasopharynx. In the middle the pharynx is connected to the oral cavity, so this part is called the oropharynx. The lower pharynx is the lowest of the 3 sections. The lower pharynx is connected to the trachea and the oesophagus.

Your cancer is at the back of the oropharynx.

Please note: This ICD code may also derive from the ICD-O system. If this is the case, there are usually additional letters and numbers in addition to the code. It starts with the letter M, followed by 4 digits and then a slash. There is another digit after the slash.

If it is an ICD-O code, then this does not describe a malignant cancer in all cases. The last digit after the slash gives you more detailed information about this:

• /0 – The tumor is benign. Cells in a tissue multiply uncontrollably. However, they are not destroying the surrounding tissue and are also not spreading throughout the body.
• /1 – It is not known for sure whether the tumor is benign or malignant.
• /2 – It is an early form of cancer, a precancerous stage where the cells are altered and multiply uncontrollably. However, they are not yet spreading beyond a certain margin and cannot spread to other organs either.
• /3 – It is a malignant cancer. The cells in the affected tissue are altered and multiply uncontrollably. They can destroy the surrounding tissue and spread throughout the body.
• /6 – It is a metastasis. Cancer cells have spread from the originally affected site to a different site in the body and have further multiplied there.
• /9 – It is either a malignant cancer or a metastasis. The cells in the affected tissue are altered and multiply uncontrollably. However, it is impossible to say whether these cells derive originally from the affected site or have spread there from a different site in the body.