Dos
- Do get any hoarseness lasting more than three weeks checked, particularly if you smoke or drink heavily
- Do attend follow-up review even after successful treatment
Laryngeal Cancer
Consultant-led diagnosis and referral pathway for laryngeal (voice box) cancer, with an emphasis on early detection.
What is the condition?
Laryngeal cancer arises from abnormal cell growth in the voice box, most commonly on the vocal cords themselves. The strongest risk factors are smoking and heavy alcohol use. Because early laryngeal cancer often affects the voice quickly, hoarseness lasting more than a few weeks is one of the most important early warning signs and should always be assessed.
Symptoms
What to look out for?
Persistent hoarseness is the hallmark early symptom; other symptoms tend to appear as the disease progresses.
- Hoarseness lasting more than three weeks
- A persistent sore throat or pain on swallowing
- A lump in the neck
- Difficulty swallowing or breathing in more advanced cases
Treatment
What can be done?
Diagnosis is confirmed with nasal endoscopy and microlaryngoscopy with biopsy. Treatment depends on the stage at diagnosis and may involve surgery, radiotherapy, or a combination, planned jointly with head and neck oncology colleagues.
- Nasal endoscopy and microlaryngoscopy with biopsy for diagnosis
- Surgery (ranging from endoscopic removal to more extensive procedures)
- Radiotherapy, alone or alongside surgery
Prevention
What should I do?
Don'ts
- Don't dismiss persistent hoarseness as "just a strained voice" without assessment
- Don't delay seeking review while waiting for a voice change to pass on its own