LARYNGEAL CANCER

Course overview

LARYNGEAL CANCERS REPRESENT ONE-THIRD OF HEAD AND NECK CANCERS AND MAY BE A SIGNIFICANT SOURCE OF MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY. THEY ARE MOST OFTEN DIAGNOSED IN PATIENTS WITH A SIGNIFICANT SMOKING HISTORY. THEY CAN INVOLVE DIFFERENT SITES OF THE LARYNX, AND THE SITE INVOLVED INFLUENCES THAT PRESENTATION, PATTERNS OF SPREAD, AND TREATMENT OPTIONS. EARLY STAGE DISEASE IS USUALLY HIGHLY CURABLE WITH EITHER SURGICAL OR RADIATION MONOTHERAPY, OFTEN LARYNX-PRESERVING. THE LATE-STAGE DISEASE IS ASSOCIATED WITH WORSE OUTCOMES, WARRANTS MULTIMODAL THERAPY, AND IS LESS LIKELY TO ALLOW FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE LARYNX. THIS ACTIVITY WILL REVIEW THE RISK FACTORS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF LARYNGEAL CANCERS, TREATMENT APPROACHES, AND THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN RECOGNIZING AND TREATING AFFECTED PATIENTS.