Larynx Cancer - Treatment & Symptom

Cancer of the larynx or laryngeal cancer, can develop in any region of the larynx; the glottis, the supraglottis, or the subglottis. The cancer can also go outside the larynx into the neighboring lymph nodes or lymph glands in the neck. Lymph nodes are small bean-shaped structures, which act as stations for drainage of lymph from various organs. Sometimes a patient of larynx cancer, with a lesion so located that it causes extreme breathing difficulty, may have to undergo a tracheostomy in emergency. The larynx has two bands of muscle that form the vocal cords. The cartilage at the front of the larynx is sometimes called the Adam's apple. Tracheostomy is a procedure in which a small opening is made in the front of your neck and into your trachea in order to produce a temporary or a permanent conduit for breathing. This is a lifesaving procedure, and may have to be performed, without your consultant being present, by the residents of the hospital.

The larynx is at the top of the windpipe (trachea). It can develop in any region of the larynx, for example the glottis (where the vocal cords are), the supraglottis (the area above the cords), or the subglottis (the area that connects the larynx to the trachea).  Normally, if the genes are damaged, the cell won't divide at all. When cancer of the larynx spreads, it is called metastatic laryngeal cancer. Its walls are made of cartilage. Almost 90% of larynx cancer patients are males. The most common age to get larynx cancer is between 60 and 70 years old. The genetic material inside the cell (the "genes" made up of DNA) instructs the cell through the division process. Most cancers of the throat develop in adults older than 50, and men are 10 times more likely than women to develop throat cancers. Like all other organs of the body, the larynx is made up of cells. Normally, cells divide to produce more cells only when the body needs them. This orderly process helps keep us healthy.

Causes of Larynx Cancer

The comman causes and risk factors of Larynx Cancer include the following:

• Asbestos poisoning.
• Ionizing radiation.
• Poor diet, lack of physical activity, or being overweight.
• Certain chemicals and other substances.
• Smoking is a very strongly linked factor with laryngeal cancers; smokers are far more likely than nonsmokers to develop this disease.
• The risk is extremely high if these smokers are also heavy alcohol drinkers.
• It is most often seen in people aged above 55 years and it is seen more commonly in men than in women.

Symptoms of Larynx Cancer

Some sign and symptoms related to Larynx Cancer are as follows:

• Hoarseness that does not resolve in 1 to 2 weeks.
• Feeling of a lump in the throat.
• Abnormal (high pitched) breathing sounds.
• Noisy breathing.
• Coughing up blood.
• Unintentional weight loss.
• Swelling in the neck.
• Difficulty swallowing.
• Difficulty breathing.
• Sore throat that does not resolve in 1 to 2 weeks, even with antibiotics.

Treatment of Larynx Cancer

Here is list of the methods for treating Larynx Cancer:

• When the tumor is small, radiation therapy alone can be used to eliminate the tumor.
• After radiation therapy, some people need feeding tubes placed into the abdomen. The feeding tube is usually temporary.
• Chemotherapy - when drugs are used to kill cancer cells.
• Surgery - this may involve the removal of a vocal cord, the supraglottis, part of the larynx or the entire larynx and lymph glands may also be removed (for early laryngeal cancers, laser therapy may be used).
• When the tumor is larger or has spread to lymph nodes in the neck, combination radiation and chemotherapy is often used to preserve the voice box and is successful in most cases.
• Many patients also need swallowing therapy after treatment to help them adjust to the changes in the structure of the throat.