Smoking Tobacco Death and Disease
Smoking Tobacco Death and Disease
Voice Box (Larynx) Cancer, Vocal Cords, Surgery, Laryngectomy and Smoking

 
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Supragoltticc Larynx, Voice Box, Cancer Glottic True Vocal Cord Cancer Subglottic Cancer 

The above pictures show cancer of the voice box.  The picture on the left is a cancer of the epiglottis or top of the voice box.  The middle picture is a cancer of the true vocal cords and the picture on the far right is a cancer of the sub-glottis or below the vocal cords.
Search barnesandnoble.com for Quitting Smoking  for larynx Cancer  for Death and Dying      
Excellent Book: Living With The End In Mind     Search PubMed for Larynx Cancer

Smoking is by far the major risk factor for developing laryngeal cancer.   The use of alcohol and smoking further increases the risk of cancer of the larynx, oral cavity, and esophagus.

Video of a biopsy of a laryngeal cancer   
in a patient who smoked:  

Somerset is located in south central Kentucky, in the hills of Appalachia.  Since my practice started in Somerset, I have evaluated 68 patients with invasive cancer (squamous cell carcinoma) of the voice box (larynx).  65 patients smoked.  64 patients had a 20 pack year, or greater, history of smoking (smoking 1/2 pack per day for 40 years).  Two patients had severe GE Reflux and in one patient the cause of the cancer was unknown.

The average age was 64 years.  The average length of smoking was 61 pack years. (A pack year is one pack per day smoked in one year, or one-half pack per day smoked over two years.)  14 patients had quit smoking.  Four patients had quit more than 25 years prior to developing the cancer.  Exposure to the carcinogens in tobacco can cause permanent genetic damage in the cells and tumors can develop years later.  Fifteen of these patients were treated with a total laryngectomy, or had to have their voice box removed. 

   
Pre and post biopsy views of a patient with two T1 squamous cell carcinomas of the true vocal cords.  The patient was treated with vocal cord stripping and  radiation therapy.
    
 
 
      

bullet Read a  Article an article on chemotherapy and radiation therapy  for advanced laryngeal cancer
   
bullet Read a Review Article on therapeutic options for laryngeal cancer (Note you will have to register to read the full text version which will be available 6 months after publication.)
 
bulletPatients with head and neck cancer that smoke are more likely to develop spread of the cancer to their lymph nodes and once in the nodes the cancer is more likely to spread into the soft tissues. View Article's Abstract
 

Statistical Distribution of Smoking Pack Year History With the Development of Larynx Cancer

Distribution of the Number of Pack Years Smoked to the Development of Laryngeal Cancer in 65 Patients, All of Whom Were Smokers.

In the group of smoking patients only one had less than a 20 pack year history of smoking.  This patient had a 5 pack history.  One can achieve a 20 pack year history by smoking 20 packs per day for 40 years.  Thus, if someone smokes more a half a pack per day or more he will have an far greater chance of developing cancer. 

Copyright  2003   Page Last Updated: 02/23/2004   Number of visits since 1/6/2004