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Larynx Cancer (Throat Cancer)

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Throat cancer (larynx cancer) facts

• The larynx is the voice box located at the top of the windpipe (trachea).
• Cancer of the larynx occurs most often in people over the age of 55 years.
• People who stop smoking can greatly reduce their risk of cancer of the larynx.
• Painless hoarseness can be a symptom of cancer of the larynx.
• The larynx can be examined with a viewing tube called a laryngoscope.
• Treatment of cancer of the larynx depends on the location and size of the tumor as well as the age and health of the patient.
• Cancer of the larynx is usually treated with radiation therapy or surgery. Chemotherapy can also be used for cancers that have spread.

What is the larynx?

The larynx is an organ in your throat. It's at the front of your neck.

This organ is about 2 inches (5 centimeters) wide, which is about the size of a lime.

The larynx is also called the voice box. It 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.

The larynx has three main parts:

• Top: The top part of the larynx is the supraglottis.
• Middle: The middle part is the glottis. Your vocal cords are in this part.
• Bottom: The bottom part is the subglottis. It connects to the windpipe (trachea).

Your larynx opens or closes to allow you to breathe, talk, or swallow:

• Breathing: When you hold your breath, your vocal cords shut tightly. When you let out your breath or breathe in, your vocal cords relax and open.
• Talking: Your larynx makes the sound of your voice. When you talk, your vocal cords tighten and move closer together. Air from your lungs is forced between the cords and makes them vibrate. The vibration makes the sound. Your tongue, lips, and teeth form this sound into words.
• Swallowing: Your larynx protects your lungs from food and liquid. When you swallow, a flap called the epiglottis covers the opening of your larynx to keep food and liquid out of your lungs. The picture below shows how food or liquid passes through the esophagus on its way from the mouth to the stomach.

Cancer cells

Cancer begins in cells, the building blocks that make up tissues. Tissues make up the larynx and the other organs of the body.

Normal cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When normal cells grow old or get damaged, they die, and new cells take their place.

Sometimes, this process goes wrong. New cells form when the body doesn't need them, and old or damaged cells don't die as they should. The buildup of extra cells often forms a mass of tissue called a growth or tumor.

Tumors in the larynx can be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer). Benign tumors are not as harmful as malignant tumors:

• Benign tumors (such as polyps or nodules):
• are usually not a threat to life
• can be treated or removed and usually don't grow back
• don't invade the tissues around them
• don't spread to other parts of the body
• Malignant growths:
• may be a threat to life
• usually can be treated or removed but can grow back
• can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs
• can spread to other parts of the body

Laryngeal cancer cells can spread by breaking away from the tumor in the larynx. They can travel through lymph vessels to nearby lymph nodes. They can also spread through blood vessels to the lungs, bones, or liver. After spreading, laryngeal cancer cells may attach to other tissues and grow to form new tumors that may damage those tissues.