Larynx Cancer: Causes and Symptoms

What Is Larynx Cancer

Laryngeal cancer may be the growth of malignant cells within the larynx (also known as the voice box), a body organ composed of the vocal cords along with a structure referred to as epiglottis, a flap of tissue that prevents food from entering the airway when you swallow. The larynx is situated between the pharynx, or throat, and also the trachea (the windpipe). Laryngeal cancer can more often than not be cured if detected early enough. Thus, it is important to be alert to persistent hoarseness-the disease's cardinal and frequently only symptom.

Treatment methods are most successful once the tumor is fixed to the vocal cords. The outlook is less optimistic for cancers which have spread in the larynx to nearby lymph nodes or with the bloodstream with other parts from the body. Some 11,000 cases of laryngeal cancer are diagnosed every year, mostly in those over age 50, and over 3,000 people die from this annually. Males are affected much more often than women-accounting for around 9,300 annual cases.

Causes or larynx cancer

We do not know the exact reasons for larynx cancer, but several risks have been identified.Included in this are:

- smoking and high drinking of alcohol (cigarettes and alcohol contain chemicals that improve your risk of developing larynx cancer

- contact with certain chemicals like paint fumes, wood dust and soot

- acid reflux disease (when bile in the stomach returns up in to the wind pipe)

- diet (an undesirable diet may improve your risk of developing larynx cancer).

Symptoms

The signs of cancer from the larynx may include:

- persistent hoarseness and difficulty speaking

- a lump inside your throat or neck

- difficulty swallowing

- breathlessness

- constant earache.

It might be that experiencing a number of of these symptoms might have led you to definitely consult your doctor within the first place. You should remember that these symptoms often means you have a condition other then cancer. Viral conditions for example laryngitis produce similar symptoms.