Laryngeal cancer is a disease whereby malignant cells form in your larynx – the part of your throat that helps you speak, breathe, and swallow. The larynx also contains vocal cords which vibrate when air passes over them, making a sound that echoes through your pharynx, nose, and mouth to make your voice. Larynx or laryngeal cancer can form in the upper, middle, or lower part of your larynx, but more than half of Fort Worth larynx cancer starts in the middle part (glottis), where your vocal cords are located.

What are the symptoms of larynx cancer?

You can easily mistake the first signs of laryngeal cancer for another condition. For example, hoarseness and a cough that does not go away can be mistaken as a sign of a cold. Signs and symptoms associated with laryngeal cancer include sore throat, a lump in your throat, voice changes, pain or difficulties swallowing, and a cough that does not improve. Other conditions may also cause these signs and symptoms, so visiting your healthcare provider for an accurate diagnosis is important.

Seek immediate medical attention if you have trouble breathing (dyspnea), breathing that is noisy and high-pitched, a feeling that something is in your throat, or coughing up blood.

Causes of larynx cancer

The cause of larynx cancer is unclear, but some forms of human papillomavirus are thought to cause laryngeal cancer. While the cause of larynx cancer is unknown, your risk of getting this condition is higher if you smoke or use other tobacco products. Excessive alcohol consumption – drinking more than one drink daily elevates your risk of larynx cancer. Your risk is even higher if you use alcohol and tobacco together.

While factors like tobacco and alcohol are within your control, others like age, sex, and medical history are inevitable. Larynx cancer is likely to occur in individuals 55 years or older. This cancer is also five times more likely in men or people assigned male at birth since smoking and heavy alcohol consumption happen more in this group.

Your risk of getting larynx cancer is higher if you have a history of head and neck cancer; head and neck cancers reoccur in about 25% of people diagnosed with the condition before. Exposure to certain substances, including wood dust, asbestos, sulfuric acid, and nickel, also elevates your risk of head and neck cancers. Working in an environment that exposes you to these substances increases your risk of larynx cancer. Working with machines also makes you susceptible to developing cancer of the larynx.

Treatment for larynx cancer

Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery are the main treatments for larynx cancer.

Chemotherapy involves the use of medications to kill or slow down the growth of malignant cells. These medications are often administered intravenously and can cause side effects that your medical oncologist will help you manage.

Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams to destroy cancer cells, with little to no damage to surrounding healthy tissue. Your healthcare provider may remove part of the larynx that has been affected by cancer using surgery where radiotherapy and chemotherapy have failed.

If you have symptoms like hoarseness and a persistent cough, visit your specialist at the Head & Neck Cancer Center of Texas for early detection.