[癌쏭달쏭] Can I lose my voice after surgery for laryngeal cancer?

Smoking and excessive drinking are considered causes of laryngeal cancer. / Getty Image Bank

Laryngeal cancer is cancer that occurs in the larynx, which is one of the major organs of the head and neck, which refers to the head and neck. It is an organ that produces vocalization and is closely related to the voice. It is known that surgery for laryngeal cancer causes loss of voice.

Smoking and excessive drinking are major risk factors

According to data from the Central Cancer Registry released in 2021, among cancers that occurred in Korea in 2019, a total of 1,222 cases of laryngeal cancer accounted for 0.5% of all cancers. When looking at the number of cases between men and women, 1157 cases for men and 68 cases for women were found much more frequently in men. By age group, those in their 60s accounted for the most at 36.7%, followed by those in their 70s (28.5%) and 50s (18.5%).

Most laryngeal cancers arise from the epithelial cells that line the inside of the larynx. Tobacco, heavy drinking, stimulation of various pollutants, viral infection, and other external stimuli applied to this area cause epithelial cells to change into cancer cells, and when they multiply, it becomes cancer.

In particular, smoking is known to be the most obvious risk factor for laryngeal cancer. Most laryngeal cancer patients are smokers or have been exposed to smoking. The greater the exposure to tobacco, the greater the risk of developing laryngeal cancer. Drinking alcohol also increases the risk of developing laryngeal cancer. It is known that the risk of developing laryngeal cancer is greater when a drinker is accompanied by a smoker than if he or she smokes alone.

The most typical symptom of laryngeal cancer is voice change, which usually occurs over weeks or months. A hard lump in the neck may be felt without other symptoms, or a sore throat may appear. You may also feel like there is a foreign object stuck in your throat, or you may have symptoms that make it difficult to swallow.

Even in the case of surgery, the larynx is preserved as much as possible.

When diagnosed with laryngeal cancer at the hospital, it is treated with surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy (chemotherapy). In general, in stage 1 or 2, monotherapy with only one of surgery or radiation therapy is performed. In the case of early laryngeal cancer, depending on the lesion, it is often cured only by laser resection in the mouth or radiation treatment alone. In stage 3 and 4, that is, advanced laryngeal cancer, combination therapy such as surgery and radiation therapy or chemotherapy and radiation therapy is often performed rather than monotherapy.

Occasionally, some people worry that they will lose their voice after surgery for laryngeal cancer, but this is not necessarily the case. Currently, the principle of laryngeal cancer treatment through surgery is to preserve the function of the larynx by preserving the larynx as much as possible while completely excising cancer cells. Experts say that even in the case of advanced laryngeal cancer, surgical resection treatment is often possible while preserving the voice depending on the characteristics of the lesion, such as the extent.

Smoking is essential for prevention

So, what should you pay attention to to prevent laryngeal cancer? The surest way to prevent laryngeal cancer is to quit smoking. It is known that even in smokers, the incidence of laryngeal cancer drops significantly after six years of quitting, and becomes similar to that of non-smokers after 15 years. In addition, avoiding excessive drinking and eating a lot of vegetables, fruits, and grains can help prevent laryngeal cancer.

Experts advise that people who continue to smoke or drink should be screened for not only laryngeal cancer but also head and neck cancer at least once a year.

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