Smoking has a special place in throat cancers, it is rare in non-smokers. In addition, until recently, the male-to-female ratio of throat cancer patients was 1/10 in favor of men. The reason for this is that men have more smoking habits. Indeed, the onset of smoking habits among women has increased this rate. Excessive alcohol use is considered a causative factor because it carries with it smoking.
What are the Symptoms of Throat Cancer?
The most important symptom is hoarseness. Hoarseness can range from mild to complete absence of voice. Therefore, hoarseness occurring in a person over the age of 40 and with a smoking habit should not be neglected. Other symptoms may include cough, sore throat, painful swallowing, and earache. Finally, in advanced cases, shortness of breath will occur due to the growing mass blocking the airway.
What is the Treatment for Larynx Cancers?
There are 2 methods in the treatment of laryngeal cancers. The first is surgery, that is, surgery, and the other is radiotherapy, that is, irradiation. Irradiation method is used in throat cancers detected early. However, surgery is a more effective and reliable treatment method in many cases. In early cases, laser surgery is possible from inside the throat under an operating microscope. Throat cancer surgeries are divided into two groups: removal of the entire larynx or removal of a part of the larynx. Of course, if the cancer is diagnosed early and has not spread to certain parts of the larynx; A surgery performed to remove part of the larynx will both make the patient's later life more comfortable and will be a safe and reliable treatment method as much as removing the entire larynx. In some cases, irradiation and surgery are another method used together.
What are the results of surgeries performed in laryngeal cancer?
Due to the anatomical feature of the larynx, it does not easily remove the cancer from the larynx. A cartilaginous tube and the covering covering this cartilage prevent the cancer from leaving the larynx. Therefore, I have throat cancer. Surgery produces more effective results than surgery for other organ cancers. Of course, the most important problem is that laryngeal cancer can be diagnosed early, as in other types of cancer. In cases involving early and small areas, the results are extremely satisfactory. Another factor affecting the results of surgery is the part of the larynx where the cancer is located. Because different parts of the larynx have different blood and lymph flow.
Can Patients Who Had Surgery Due to Larynx Cancer Speak? By what methods is it possible for them to speak again?
Generally, two types of surgeries are performed for throat cancer. The first is the removal of a part of the larynx, and the other is; removal of the entire larynx. It is already possible for the patient to speak when the first type, a part of the larynx rather than the entire larynx, is removed. During the surgery, the speech function of the larynx was preserved to a greater or lesser extent. Therefore, there is no need for an additional method to speak. In cases where the entire larynx is removed, speech problems occur. There are some methods that will eliminate this problem or enable the patient to speak in order to continue his daily and social life. The first of these methods is to enable speech by placing a voice prosthesis during or after surgery. Another way is to try to talk by swallowing and expelling air, which is more difficult. Although patients who cannot apply these methods can use speech devices as a third method, we do not recommend it.
Is Laser Surgery Effective in Throat Cancer?
In recent years, we have been getting very successful results with Diode Laser in suitable cases. Since the neck is not opened from the outside and a hole is not made in the trachea, patients start to feed in a short time and the hospital stay is shortened.
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