DEAR DR. GOTT:
I read with interest a letter from a reader who had trouble swallowing. I too had trouble swallowing pills and received many suggestions. My general practice physician told me to gargle with salt water. This didn’t help so I consulted an ear-nose-and-throat specialist. He looked down my throat and knew right away I had cancer on my epiglottis (the cartilage-like “lid” that closes the windpipe during swallowing to prevent inhalation of food). He confirmed his visual observation with a biopsy.

That was three years ago. I underwent chemotherapy and radiation and now my cancer is in remission. It was detected early so I was lucky.

Trouble swallowing can be something serious and needs to be checked by a specialist.

DEAR READER:
Trouble swallowing can be caused by cancer, as it was in your case. However, most situations have a benign diagnosis. I agree with you that difficulty swallowing, especially if it is a new occurrence, should be evaluated by a specialist. Thanks for writing.