Medically Verified By: Dr Minish Jain
Moshe Kasher. (Image: Instagram)
Comedian and actor Moshe Kasher revealed that he has been diagnosed with tonsillar cancer in an emotional Father's Day post on Instagram. The 46-year-old standup comedian said the diagnosis came after he spotted a lump on his tonsil roughly three months ago while going through pre-production on an upcoming film.
Kasher wrote in his post that months of medical appointments, uncertainty and emotional struggles were the most terrifying and consciousness consuming experience of his life. In his words, "This has been the most terrifying and consciousness consuming experience of my life...has been terror, meditation, tears, and medical planning."
The comedian had a five-hour operation at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in LA to remove the cancer. In the meantime while he awaits seeing if he will need radiation therapy Kasher sent out a few positive messages to his fans saying doctors have told him that his HPV-positive tonsil cancer has a very high rate of cure in the ballpark of 95 per cent.
Using his platform to spread awareness Kasher pointed out that there has been increasing worry about the rising incidence of HPV-related throat cancers in younger and middle-aged adults especially in men under 55 years of age.
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Tonsil cancer is a type of head and neck cancer that develops on the tissues of the tonsils which are located on the back of the throat and are part of the body's immune system. The disease can strike either one or both tonsils and experts believe it is becoming more common as it's been associated with the human papillomavirus (HPV) a sexually transmitted virus that passes from person to person via intimate skin-to-skin contact.
Dr Minish Jain, Director of Medical Oncology at Ruby Hall Clinic Pune tells Healthsite that HPV-related cancers of the throat and tonsils have definitely been on the rise with patients who have HPV being much younger and many of them having the typical risk factors such as smoking and alcoholism.
The oncologist states that one of the challenges with tonsil cancer is that symptoms could start mild and may be confused with a common throat infection. Here are some warning signs you should watch out for:
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a very prevalent viral infection in the world. Although most HPV infections go away on their own some high-risk strains can lead to increased risk of cancers in the cervix, throat, tonsils, anus and others. According to Dr Jain HPV vaccination is one of the best preventive measures available today.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional for diagnosis, treatment or health concerns.
