Laryngeal cancer is the degeneration of the cells covering the vocal cords and/or adjacent structures, with a tendency to grow spontaneously and disorderly. In other words, it is an uncontrolled growth of cells that endangers the patient’s life. Dr. Miguel Conti Domingo talks about this disease and how an early diagnosis can be the key to treatment.
Why does laryngeal cancer occur?
Although there are genetic factors that predispose to this type of tumor, laryngeal cancer is a vivid example of a relationship with toxic habits such as alcohol and tobacco and infectious habits such as human papilloma virus infection.
What are its symptoms?
The symptom par excellence would be dysphonia, that is to say, the loss of voice quality. Any loss of voice that goes beyond 15 days should be explored by an Otolaryngologist specialist. This is the only specialty that studies, diagnoses and treats this type of alterations. An early diagnosis is the key to the least aggressive treatment possible.
How is it diagnosed?
Fibrolaryngoscopy is the exploration par excellence that allows us to observe the vocal cords and the rest of the larynx, its appearance, its mobility and the appearance of tumors in a quick and unobtrusive way. This exploration is not replaceable by any other exploration such as an MRI (resonance) or CT although the latter can help to assess the extent of the disease once diagnosed.
In the case of observing a suspicious lesion by fibrolaryngoscopy, a biopsy should be performed in the operating room under general anesthesia. This technique is called direct laryngoscopy and is performed with the patient asleep and introducing a rigid tube through the mouth up to the vocal cords. This allows us to directly observe the lesion under the surgical microscope and take the necessary samples for subsequent anatomopathological analysis.
What treatment is recommended?
The aim is always to cure the disease with the minimum of therapeutic aggressiveness so that the damage to healthy tissue is the least possible. In the therapeutic arsenal, the surgical laser stands out as it allows us to act on tumor areas respecting the areas adjacent to the tumor and to work by natural routes without the need for incisions in the neck. But all surgery must be designed for each patient and the need for oncological adjuvant treatments must be assessed if necessary.