Definition:- Cancer of larynx is an malignant growth of the vocal cards or any portion of the larynx. (OR). Cancer that forms in tissues of the larynx, area of the throat that contains the vocal cards and is used for breathing, swallowing, and talking, most laryngeal cancers are squamous cells carcinoma, cancer that begins in flat cells lining the larynx.
Types of larynx Cancer:-
Sarcoma– cancer of the connective tissues in the larynx.
Lymphoma– Cancer of the lymphatic tissue in the larynx.
Adenocarcinoma— Cancer that in starts in the glandular ( adeno) cells of the larynx.
Causes:-
- Regularly drinking large amounts of alcohol.
- Smoking tobacco.
- Having family members, (such as parents, brother, sisters, or Child). who have had laryngeal cancer.
- Having unhealthy diet low in fruits and vegetables.
- Exposure to certain Chemicals and substances, such as asbestos and cold dust.
Symptoms:-
- Difficulty and breathing.
- Difficulty or painful swallowing.
- Hoarseness.
- Low pitched voice.
- Tickling sensation in throat.
- Dryness and fullness (lump) in throat.
- Coughing on swallowing.
- Pain radiating to ear (late symptom).
- Aphonia ( loss of voice).
- Weight loss.
- General debility
- Unilateral nasal obstruction or discharge.
- Coughing of blood (hemoptysis).
- Mass or growth in the neck.
Diagnosis:- During a nasendoscopy or laryngoscopy, your doctor may use of small instruments to remove a sample of cells from your larynx so it can be examined for signs of cancer, this is known as a biopsy. If you have a lump in your neck, needle and syringe can be used to remove a tissues sample.
Complications:-
- Airway obstruction.
- Disfigurement of the neck face.
- Loss of voice and speaking difficulties.
- Metastasis
- A small percentage of the patient (5℅) will not be able to swallow and will need to be fed through a feeding tube.
Management:-
Depends on sites and stages of cancer, yearly malignancy maybe removed endoscopically.
- Radiation therapy and chemotherapy combined with surgery include in treatment.
Surgical Management:-
Partial laryngectomy:- Removal of small lesion on true cord, along with a substantial margin of healthy tissue.
Hemi-laryngectomy:- Removal of one true vocal cord, false cord, one half of thyroid cartilage.
Total laryngectomy:- Removal of entire larynx (epiglottis, false or true cords, hyoid bone).
Total laryngectomy with laryngoplasty:- ( Plastic surgery of larynx).
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By GS India Nursing……..!!