Problem
Cancer of the larynx
Other Names:
Malignant neoplasm of the laryngeal cartilagesCancer of the glottis
Cancer of the vocal cords
Nature:
Laryngeal cancer or throat cancer is a kind of cancer that can develop in any part of the larynx (voice box). It is typically a squamous-cell carcinoma, reflecting its origin from the epithelium of the larynx.
The prognosis is affected by the location of the tumour. For the purposes of staging, the larynx is divided into three anatomical regions: the glottis (true vocal cords, anterior and posterior commissures); the supraglottis (epiglottis, arytenoids and aryepiglottic folds, and false cords); and the subglottis. Most laryngeal cancers originate in the glottis, with supraglottic and subglottic tumours being less frequent.
Laryngeal cancer may spread by: direct extension to adjacent structures, metastasis to regional cervical lymph nodes, or via the blood stream. The most common site of distant metastases is the lung. Laryngeal cancer occurred in 177,000 people in 2018, and resulted in 94,800 deaths (an increase from 76,000 deaths in 1990). Five-year survival rates in the United States are 60.3%.
Values:
MalignancyNeoplasm Subject(s):
Medicine → PathologyMedicine → Lungs, throat
Medicine → Cancer
Recreation → Singing
Related UN Sustainable Development Goals:
Problem Type:
G: Very specific problems Date of last update
11.01.2018 – 04:42 CET