Live Life Team
The cancer affecting the larynx or voice box is known as laryngeal cancer. The larynx provides protection by preventing the food going to the lungs. The basic cause of a person coughing is also the larynx.
Laryngeal cancer is normally found in people who have the habit of excessive drinking as well as excessive smoking. Men are subjected to the development of this cancer more than women. The neck and the head cancer usually appear in the larynx, but the glottis as well as supraglottis may also develop the cancers.
If the cancer is present only in the larynx, then the early diagnosis is easier as there will be clear change in the voice. But if the cancer spreads, then one need to look for the symptoms associate with it.
Symptoms
Laryngeal cancer is characterised by the presence of a very hoarse voice which will be present permanently. This is a common and temporary symptom associated with laryngeal cancer. This condition develops in people due to the infection caused by the virus on the larynx or voice box.
The condition normally vanishes after two or four weeks. But if it does not vanish and is more prominent, then doctor must be visited.
A person may experience a lump in his or her throat before the change of voice happens. This lump may be an indicator to the development of a tumour in the voice box or larynx.
As the cancer progresses in the larynx, one may be able to identify the presence of one firm mass in neck which poses difficulty to breathe and pain while swallowing.
Causes
The most common reason for the development of cancer in the larynx or the voice box is the habit of smoking cigarettes in excessive quantities.
Some of the other triggers that contribute to the development of laryngeal cancer are:
Consumption of alcohol in excessive quantities.
A person getting exposed to chemical pollutants like asbestos fibres as well as fumes form paints.
A person who takes food which lacks the presence of vital nutrients in it can also develop laryngeal cancer. The presence of an immune system that is very weak can trigger laryngeal cancer.
If a person has been suffering from the condition of acid reflux for a long time, this will lead to laryngeal cancer if the condition is so worse that the acid can cause inflammation of the larynx.
Treatment
The treatment for larynx is finalised by the stage as well as the location of the cancer of the larynx.
The early stages of laryngeal cancer will be given treatment using radiation therapy or surgery.
If the cancer is small in vocal cords, then one can opt for laser therapy or radiotherapy. Radiotherapy is more effective.
The presence of a metastased cancer or large cancers requires a combination of radiotherapy as well as laser therapy.
A laryngectomy is performed when the partial or complete removal of the larynx is required due to the risk of getting cancer spreading to other parts. The removed larynx are replaced with electropharynx.
