Symptoms

The main symptoms of laryngeal cancer include:

• a change in your voice, such as sounding hoarse
• pain when swallowing or difficulty swallowing
• a lump or swelling in your neck
• a long-lasting cough
• a persistent sore throat or earache
• in severe cases, difficulty breathing

Some people may also experience bad breath, breathlessness, high-pitched wheezing noise when breathing, unexplained weight loss, or fatigue (extreme tiredness).

Causes

It is not clear exactly what causes laryngeal cancer, but your risk of getting the condition is increased by:

• smoking tobacco
• regularly drinking large amounts of alcohol
• having a family history of head and neck cancer
• having an unhealthy diet
• exposure to certain chemicals and substances, such as asbestos and coal dust

Prevention

By adopting a healthy lifestyle, including avoiding alcohol and tobacco, you can significantly reduce your chances of developing laryngeal cancer.

Avoiding tobacco products, cutting down on how much alcohol you drink and having a healthy diet are particularly important in reducing your chances of developing the condition.

The main treatments for laryngeal cancer are radiotherapy, surgery and chemotherapy.

Radiotherapy or surgery to remove the cancerous cells from the larynx can often cure laryngeal cancer if it is diagnosed early.

If the cancer is advanced, a combination of surgery to remove part or all of the larynx, radiotherapy and chemotherapy can be used.

If you have surgery to remove your larynx, you will no longer be able to speak or breathe in the usual way. Instead, you will breathe through a permanent hole in your neck (stoma) and you will need additional treatment to help restore your voice.

This may include an implant in your throat, or an electrical device you hold against your throat to produce sound.

The outlook for laryngeal cancer depends on the extent of the cancer when it is diagnosed and treated.

Fortunately, most laryngeal cancers are diagnosed at an early stage, which means the outlook is generally better than some other types of cancer.

Overall, about 70 out of every 100 people will live for at least 5 years after diagnosis and about 60 out of every 100 people will live for at least 10 years.

If you smoke, stopping smoking after being diagnosed with laryngeal cancer may improve your outlook.