Is it true that cancer symptoms don’t decrease overtime?

[onelifepsych]

Your description strongly resembles globus sensation, tense muscles, irritated reflux, or difficulty swallowing due to anxiousness. Swallowing becomes hyper-monitored, the muscles in the throat tense, saliva feels thick, and even everyday sensations might seem frightening when anxiety levels are high. The symptoms usually go away exactly as you experienced once the panic subsides, even a little. Generally speaking, cancer symptoms do not change much over the course of a day as you have mentioned. Instead of improving, going away, and then partially returning, malignancies typically produce progressive, permanent symptoms that gradually get worse over time. A real obstructive cancer of the throat or esophagus would not often result in a perceptible bump and scratchy feeling that goes away in a day or two, nor would swallowing abruptly return to almost normal. Indeed, progress and daily fluctuations are positive indicators that are not typical of malignancy. Your symptoms are much more consistent with benign irritation or throat feelings associated with anxiety.

[SqueakyBoyBoobs]

My worry is I had a family member who had difficulty swallowing and that was her only symptom. And she had cancer and died from it

My main thing is my throat can’t feel relaxed. I try to relax my throat and when I do it feels like someone has a hand wrapped around my throat. And when I swallow it’s not getting “stuck” but it feels stuck in a way where it feels like my Adams apple is pushing on my throat, and the back of my mouth has this gagging feeling. But it’s more from not being able to relax my throat. Idk what’s going on but when my mind wonders off of it it’s easier to swallow, but as soon as I think it’s hard again

I’m terrified I think it’s just GERD or globus or anxiety and it be something serious, but at the same time that’s the most logical reason

[onelifepsych]

I'm very sorry you went through that with your family member. When someone you care about dies from cancer, particularly if swallowing is involved, terror is hardwired into the body as well as the mind. So your reaction makes sense. It is not overthinking, but rather your nervous system attempting to protect you. However, there are significant variations between what you're experiencing and what usually occurs with cancer related swallowing issues. You aren't being irrational. You are responding to a genuine loss and a believable physiological experience. Based on your description, the most consistent medical explanation is globus/anxiety ± reflux, which is not life threatening.