Risk Factors for Laryngeal Cancer

• Smoking: 95 percent of people who develop cancer on or around the vocal cords are smokers. The amount of time a person smokes appears to be correlated with the risk for developing cancer (whether a person is currently smoking or has quit).
• Alcohol: People who smoke and drink alcoholic beverages are at increased risk for developing laryngeal cancer.
• Human papilloma virus (HPV): This disease can also increase a person’s risk for developing cancer of the voice box.
• Reflux: Gastroesophageal reflux disease can injure the tissues of the voice box and can also increase a person’s risk for developing cancer of the voice box.

Symptoms of Laryngeal Cancer

• Pain with swallowing or persistent sore throat
• Difficulty swallowing
• Hoarseness that persists and or worsens
• Difficulty breathing
• Pain in the ear
• Lump in the neck

Evaluation and Treatment

An otolaryngologist (ENT doctor and surgeon) will evaluate you by performing a thorough head and neck exam and laryngoscopy. If needed, a head/neck CT scan may be performed.

A biopsy (removing a small sample of tissue to check for cancerous or pre-cancerous cells) may also be performed. Once your doctor knows the nature of the problem, a treatment plan can be made.

Depending of the nature of the laryngeal cancer, a number of treatment options may be provided. Only you and your physician can develop the best plan for you.

Your physician will inform you how many different treatment options are available to treat your specific condition. Radiation, chemotherapy, surgery, or any combination of those treatments may be presented as treatment options.

Side effects from these treatments may additionally be treated by speech pathology exercises (for voice, speech, and swallowing impairments).

The most important thing to remember is that most laryngeal cancer is “curable” if caught early enough.

How to Stop Smoking

Many treatment options are available to help you quit. Even if you’ve tried in the past, you may not have tried some of the newer and more successful options.

Your doctor may prescribe a medication which can help you stop. There are also other alternative options such as hypnosis and acupuncture, which help many patients.