Laryngeal cancer treatment: surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and more

The treatment of laryngeal cancer is basically surgical removal. Usually, it is necessary to remove a part of the larynx, but sometimes it is necessary to remove the entire larynx.

Depending on the type of cancer and the extent of the cancer, a specific surgical procedure and size of the procedure will be chosen.

Sometimes it is even necessary to remove the vocal cords. In this case, voice prostheses are used to restore communication. However, it is important to maintain a clear airway, even with the help of a tracheostomy, i.e. a surgical procedure which consists of making a cut on the front of the neck.

If the cancer is advanced, the lymph nodes must be removed from the throat. Endoscopy is used as a surgical method. Sometimes, laser therapy or the classic external approach method is chosen.

The second option is to irradiate the tumour. This is done either in conjunction with surgical removal or separately. This is done when surgical treatment is no longer possible.

Chemotherapy as such has very little effect, which is why it is used only as an supplemental form of treatment.

The success of laryngeal cancer treatment depends primarily on how early laryngeal cancer is identified. It also depends on how much the tumour has spread.