A cough that won’t budge and 10 other easy-to-miss signs of throat cancer after Val Kilmer’s battle with the disease

VAL Kilmer, best known for movies such as 1986'sTop Gunand 1995’sBatman Forever, has passed away at the age of 65.

His daughter Mercedes Kilmer, toldThe New York Timeshe died of on Tuesday 1 April.

The actor's death follows years of rumoured problems, one of which he opened up about in a 2017 interview.

Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, Kilmer revealed he had a two-year fight with throat after being diagnosed in 2014.

The article shared the disease had “taken its toll”;; on his family, noting that Kilmer had undergone a procedure on his trachea which made his voice raspy and left him short of breath.

He was later declared cancer free.

Throat cancer isn't a precise medical term doctors use, as the throat is made up of several parts with different names.

The cancer could be in one of two main areas – the pharynx or the .

The pharynx is a passage that makes sure goes down the oesophagus and air goes up and down the trachea.

And there are three main parts:

• Nasopharynx, which connects the back of the nose to the back of the mouth
• Oropharynx, which is at the back of the mouth and contains the soft palate, base of the tongue and back wall of the throat
• Hypopharynx which connects the oropharynx and nasopharynx to the start of the oesophagus and the trachea via the larynx.

Cancers that start in the head and neck area are often grouped together.

is the most common type of head and neck cancer.

Other head and neck cancers include:

• Laryngeal cancer – which develops in the tissue of the larynx (voice box)
• Salivary gland cancer
• Nasal and sinus cancer

SYMPTOMS OF THROAT CANCER

The symptoms of throat cancer are often similar to symptoms of other much less serious conditions, according to .

There are 11 symptoms to look out for:

• ear pain
• a persistent
• a lump in the neck
• pain or difficulty swallowing
• change in your voice or speech
• unexplained
• a cough
• shortness of breath
• a feeling of something stuck in the throat
• persistent sore tongue
• ulcers that don't heal or red and white patches in the mouth

If you experience any of these symptoms you should see your GP.

In the UK, throat cancer, specifically laryngeal cancer, isrelatively uncommon, with around 2,000-2,400 new cases diagnosed annually.

It tends to be common in men than in women – also people over the age of 60.

Find out about other risk factors below…