According to the National Cancer Institute, in 2009 in the United States, approximately 12,290 new diagnoses of laryngeal cancer were made, and 3,660 individuals died from the disease. Cancer of the larynx, also known as the voice box, is often grouped with cancers of the throat and can be treated in a variety of ways, depending on the extent of disease.
Surgery
Different types of surgery may be done to treat laryngeal cancer, depending on the staging of disease. In cases of laryngeal carcinoma in situ, or noninvasive laryngeal cancer, vocal cord stripping is a surgical option. This involves removing the superficial layers of the vocal cords; this procedure is also used to biopsy the larynx, according to the American Cancer Society. In more invasive larynx cancers, a partial or total laryngectomy may be performed. This surgery involves removing only the part of the voice box that has the cancer; normal speech is retained. A total laryngectomy is the removal of the entire voice box, with the creation of a stoma where the windpipe is connected to a hole in the front of the neck to enable breathing. With this operation, normal speech is lost.
Radiation Therapy
The National Cancer Institute describes radiation therapy as a treatment that uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. For the treatment of laryngeal cancer, the type of radiation therapy used is typically external beam radiation. This mode of administering the radiation involves using a machine outside the body to aim the radiation to the cancerous area, as opposed to brachytherapy, which involves placing radioactive seeds or pellets directly into the cancer. For laryngeal cancer, the treatment schedule involves daily radiation treatments, five days a week, for approximately seven weeks, explains the American Cancer Society. Other treatment schedules are currently being studied in clinical trials. Side effects can include mouth and throat sores, dry mouth, skin problems, decreased taste and fatigue. These side effects are temporary and tend to resolve once treatment has ended.
Chemotherapy
For more advanced laryngeal cancers, chemotherapy is usually part of the treatment plan, according to the American Cancer Society. Chemotherapy involves the use of drugs to kill cancer cells and slow down the growth of cancer. The two most common chemotherapy medications used for laryngeal cancer are cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil, also known as 5-FU. When a third drug, taxotere--brand name Taxol--is added, results have been even more effective than when simply using the first two drugs together. Other chemotherapeutic drugs that the American Cancer Society lists for laryngeal cancer include bleomycin, carboplatin, methotrexate and paclitaxel. Side effects of these medications can include nausea and vomiting, fatigue, mouth sores, hair loss and low white and red blood cell counts, which can lead to increased risk of infections and anemia. As with radiation side effects, these tend to get better once chemotherapy has ended.
References
- American Cancer Society: Laryngeal and Hypopharyngeal Cancers: Surgery
- National Cancer Institute: Laryngeal Cancer Treatment Options
- American Cancer Society: Laryngeal and Hypopharyngeal Cancers: Radiation
- American Cancer Society: Laryngeal and Hypopharyngeal Cancers: Chemotherapy
- National Cancer Institute: Throat Cancer
