Larynx Cancer Treatment Information

LARYNX CANCER TREATMENT INFORMATION

What is the Larynx?

The larynx is the upper portion of the windpipe ("trachea") which has a two main functions: conducting air down into the lungs, and producing speech in humans. The human larynx is composed of 3 areas: supraglottis, glottis, and subglottis. Theglottis is literally the "voicebox" and contains the paired vocal cords. The subglottis extends about 1/2" below the glottis, while the supraglottis extends about 2 inches above the vocal cords. The epiglottis, which is a flap of flesh that folds down over the trachea to protect the lungs during swallowing, is part of the supraglottis. The whole larynx is in front of the foodpipe ("esophagus") and is just behind the skin of the throat.

Placing a finger directly under the "Adams apple" (which is a movable bone in the neck called the hyoid) and humming allows you to feel the vocal cords vibrating right under your finger. Only a thin membrane and the skin of the neck separate the vocal cords from your finger at this point; doctors use it as a landmark to insert an emergency air tube ("cricothyrotomy") in situations where a patient's upper airway is blocked. The area of the vocal cords is the narrowest part of the airway and the easiest to block by tumor or an object swallowed "the wrong way".

All the air we breath in and out all passes over the vocal cords, which come together to raise the pitch of our voice. A special muscle connects to the vocal cords to tighten them; cancers can invade this muscle and then limit the action ("mobility") of the vocal cords. An important nerve ("recurrent laryngeal") supplies this muscle that tightens the vocal cords; cancer invading the nerve can also paralyze the cords. When the cords don't move properly, it's crucial to know why. The supraglottis and subglottis have an extensive network of draining glands ("lymph channels") which carry tissue fluids to bean sized lymph glands in the neck where they are filtered and purified before being returned to the bloodstream. Cancer cells can break off and travel through these the lymph channels, and into the bloodstream. The true vocal cords do not have any draining glands, so cancers starting on the vocal cords tend to spread more slowly than those originating above or below the vocal cords. Two plates of cartilage (thyroid and cricoid) protect the upper and lower larynx, but as mentioned don't extend over the front of the vocal cords. Cancers that spread locally can invade into cartilage. More rarely, they can invade into the esophagus lying behind the larynx. The larger the cancer, the more risk of distant spread.

What Is Larynx Cancer?

Larynx cancer simply means one that started in the larynx proper, as described
above. The larynx is lined with cells which grow rapidly before birth and during child-
hood through puberty. In the adult, however, new cell production is under very tight
control. New cells are produced by division of older ones to replace those lost due to
old age and injury. The genetic material inside the cell (the "genes" made up of DNA)
instructs the cell through the division process. Normally, if the genes are damaged, the cell won't divide at all. However, due to particular types of gene damage, the cell
may start dividing out of control. Cancer starts in a single cell, when it starts dividing
out of control. When cells divide rapidly, they form a clump of cells known as a tumor.
A tumor merely means a swelling, it can be caused by most any infection or irritation
and is not necessarily cancer. A tumor which grows only in it's local area, and does not spread distantly, is called"benign" and is not cancer. An example of a benign
tumor of the vocal cords are thepolyps (bumps) on the cords which may develop after repeated voice strain, and cause hoarseness. In contrast, a tumor which has the
ability to spread to distant areas is called"malignant" andit is cancer. For a cancer,
the process of local growth is called"invasion" and of distant travel"metastasis".
Distant travel can mean through the lymph channels into the local lymph nodes of the
neck ("lymphogenous metastasis") or toany organ of the body via the bloodstream ("hematogenous metastasis"). The most common organs for cancer to spread to in
the bloodstream are the lungs, liver, bone and brain. It is important to catch and treat
cancer early, for the longer and larger it grows, the more the chance of distant spread.

How Common is Larynx Cancer?

Each year in the United States there are12,500 new cases of larynx cancer which
leads to about 800 deaths. Almost 90% of larynx cancer patients are males. The most
common age to get larynx cancer is between 60 and 70 years old. Glottis cancer (the
area of the true vocal cords) is by far the most common, making up 65% of cases. The
second most common site is the supraglottis, at about 30% of cases. The remaining
5% of cases occur in the subglottis. Patients may develop a "transglottic" cancer, it
means the disease crosses anatomic boundaries to invade more than one area of
the larynx. It may even be impossible to say just where a transglottic cancer started.
Currently, about 2% of all cancer cases are larynx cancer. In general, the worldwide rate of larynx cancer has beenincreasing over 3 decades, but the cure rate has also been increasing.

The larynx is made up of the vocal cords and surrounding support structures, it is essential in producing normal human voice and also helps prevent food and liquid from entering into the lungs. If polyps (bumps) form on the vocal cords, or something interferes with the muscles controlling the vocal cords, the voice will be hoarse in quality. A cancer of the larynx will first effect the voice, and eventually can block off the windpipe causing suffocation.

It is critical to get proper diagnosis and treatment for a larynx cancer problem; this can literally make the difference between keeping or losing the ability to speak. Eventually, it can even make the difference between life and death! Understanding your options will give you the peace-of-mind knowing that you have done everything possible to ensure a successful outcome for yourself or a loved one.

CancerAnswers's material explains, in plain English, the definition, locations, types, symptoms, evaluations, historical and latest effective treatment for larynx cancer. We describe surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy along with their side-effects and results. We tell you everything you need to know to help make correct choices today for a larynx cancer problem.

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