India, Sept. 23 -- Finishing cancer treatment can bring a much-needed sense of relief, but recovery does not always mean that treatment-related symptoms disappear straight away. A sore or irritated throat, for instance, can persist during or even after treatment, leaving patients wondering whether it signals something more serious. While uncomfortable, a sore throat does not necessarily mean that the cancer has returned and can have several treatment-related causes.

In a conversation with HT Lifestyle, Dr Ankur Nandan Varshney - a senior consultant medical oncologist at Medanta Hospital, Noida - points out that the reason behind throat discomfort needs to be understood in the context of the patient's cancer, treatment received and overal...