Laryngeal cancer, which is a cancer that forms in the larynx, forms in the throat between the base of the tongue and the trachea. This is where the vocal cords are located as air causes vibrations and sounds when pushed against them. The cancer can form in any or all of the three main parts of the larynx: the supraglottis, the glottis, or the subglottis. Almost all laryngeal cancers are squamous cell cancers, which are the thin cells that line the throat.
Facts About Laryngeal Cancer
1. There will be about 12,600 new cases of laryngeal cancer in the United States in the next 12 months.
2. Laryngeal cancer makes up 0.8% of all new cancer cases that are diagnosed every year.
3. The percentage of cancer deaths that are caused by laryngeal cancer: 0.6%.
4. Approximately 0.4 percent of men and women will be diagnosed with larynx cancer at some point during their lifetime.
5. The number of new cases of larynx cancer was 3.3 per 100,000 men and women per year.
6. In 2011, there were an estimated 89,265 people living with larynx cancer in the United States.
7. 55.6% cases of laryngeal cancer are diagnosed when it is still at the localized stage. When this occurs, the 5 year survival rate is above 75%.
8. The overall 5 year survival rate of laryngeal cancer is 60%.
9. If the cancer has spread to nearby areas and/or lymph nodes, the five-year survival rate is 39%.
10. Rates for new larynx cancer cases have been falling on average 2.5% each year over the last 10 years. It is believed that this is because fewer people are smoking on a regular basis.
11. Death rates have been falling on average 2.2% each year over 2002-2011.
12. Laryngeal cancer becomes more common with age and is more common in men than in women. Fewer than 3,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with this cancer in the next 12 months.
13. Survival rates for people with cancer in the glottis range from 90% when the cancer is found at the earliest stage to 44% in the most advanced stage.
14. For cancer in the supraglottis, the rates are 59% for the earliest stage to 35% for the most advanced stage.
15. With cancer in the subglottis, the rates range from 65% at the earliest stage to 32% at the most advanced stage.
16. 3,600. That’s the number of people who are expected to succumb to this disease over the next 12 months.
There are two primary risk factors that increase a person’s risk of developing this cancer: smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol. How much alcohol may be too much is dependent on the individual, so people may wish to speak with their doctor if they are concerned about their lifestyle habits. A visit to the doctor is also necessary if there is a lump in the throat or the neck, there is ongoing ear pain, trouble swallowing, or a sore throat that doesn’t go away.
Laryngeal cancer may also cause a change in a person’s voice. The diagnosis of cancer is always scary, but there is some good news. The facts about laryngeal cancer shows that it can be defeated so that remission can occur.
What Is the Key To Defeating Laryngeal Cancer?
As with most cancers, the best way to defeat laryngeal cancer is to catch it early. Because the cancer directly affects a person’s ability to swallow or talk, it can often be caught in its early stages. Only 1 in 5 people who are diagnosed with this cancer over the next year will have had the cancer metastasized when the diagnosis is received.
With 90% survival rates based on the location of the cancer within the larynx, there is less to worry about with this cancer than other forms – even when there are advanced or unstaged cancers diagnosed in a patient.
Survival rates should be taking with some caution. Although laryngeal cancer is quite rare when compared to all cancers, it is one of the most common head and neck cancers. Treatment decisions and medication compliance all have a factor in the successful treatment of this disease. If you aren’t feeling well, have noticed ongoing changes with your voice or have ear pain that won’t go away, then seek out the advice of a doctor right away.
It could be a choice that saves your life.