Laryngeal cancer is a common disease and is on the rise in our country. Focusing on avoiding risk factors will help effectively prevent laryngeal cancer.
1. How to identify laryngeal cancer?
The larynx is an organ located in the neck, composed of cartilage, muscles, and ligaments. It sits above the trachea, with the esophagus located below and behind it. The larynx plays a role in guiding air into the lungs, protecting the respiratory tract, and facilitating phonation.
Laryngeal cancer is a malignant tumor that originates within the larynx or along its borders. This is a common disease with an increasing trend in our country. Most laryngeal cancer patients are male (accounting for 95% of cases), predominantly aged between 40-50.
How to identify laryngeal cancer? Common symptoms of laryngeal cancer include:
- The patient's voice becomes increasingly hoarse, leading to difficulty in speaking, severe hoarseness, and loss of voice.
- Shortness of breath: Initially mild but gradually worsening, causing episodes of breathlessness. In severe cases, irritation can lead to bronchial spasms.
- Cough: A common symptom, sometimes manifesting as spasmodic coughing fits.
- Pain in the laryngeal area: Pain occurs when the tumor has spread to the upper border of the larynx. The pain often radiates to the ear and sharpens during swallowing.
- Late stages: When laryngeal cancer is in its late stages, the patient's breath has a foul odor due to necrotic ulceration of cancerous tissue. Patients also experience difficulty swallowing, choking on food, and secretions entering the respiratory tract, causing severe coughing fits. Overall, the patient's condition deteriorates.
When a patient visits a medical facility, doctors will conduct a clinical examination of the area in front of the larynx and the thyroid cartilage. To confirm the diagnosis, doctors will use the following methods:
- Laryngoscopy to detect warty growths, ulcers, papillomas, and infiltrations.
- Neck ultrasound to detect enlarged, sticky cervical lymph nodes and surrounding infiltrations.
- Computed Tomography (CT) scans to identify the opacity, extent, and destruction of the tumor.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans.
- Biopsy to obtain tissue samples from the tumor for pathological examination.
2. How to prevent laryngeal cancer?
The main cause of laryngeal cancer is still unclear. However, research has identified several important factors that increase the risk of the disease. Focusing on avoiding these risk factors will help prevent laryngeal cancer:
- Smoking: Smoking is considered the highest risk factor for laryngeal cancer. Studies show that 12% of smokers develop laryngeal cancer, while only 12% of non-smokers do. Public awareness campaigns highlighting the dangers of smoking and encouraging people to quit can help reduce the risk of laryngeal cancer. Long-term smokers experiencing prolonged hoarseness, cough, shortness of breath, etc., should seek medical attention for early diagnosis and more effective treatment.
- Alcohol: Heavy drinking is a risk factor for laryngeal cancer. Alcohol significantly increases the cancer-causing potential of tobacco, so reducing the combination of alcohol and tobacco can lower the risk of laryngeal cancer.
- Occupational factors also increase the risk of disease. People who work in polluted and hazardous environments, especially in chemical plants and mines with chrome, nickel, asbestos, etc., have a high incidence of laryngeal cancer. Workers need to focus on prevention by adhering to safety regulations, using protective equipment at work, and undergoing regular occupational health check-ups to reduce the risk of disease.
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD): Many cases of esophageal cancer are found in patients with a history of GERD. Stomach acid refluxing into the esophagus exerts strong effects on the esophageal lining, making patients prone to chronic laryngitis, bronchitis, and esophagitis. To prevent the risk of laryngeal cancer later on, patients experiencing heartburn should adjust their eating habits, avoid overeating, refrain from lying down immediately after eating, elevate the head of their bed by about 15 cm, and avoid stimulants like alcohol, tobacco, and carbonated beverages.
- Oral infections, chronic ear, nose, and throat infections, chronic laryngitis, malnutrition, and vitamin deficiency can lead to a higher risk of laryngeal cancer. Therefore, it is essential to focus on preventing these factors.
3. The role of laryngeal cancer screening
If laryngeal cancer is not detected and treated in time, the patient's life expectancy is usually only 12-18 months. Patients often die from acute respiratory failure, pneumonia complications, exhaustion, or massive bleeding. However, if detected and treated early, the cure rate can reach up to 80%. Therefore, regular health check-ups to screen for laryngeal cancer early play a crucial role. An annual health check-up helps detect the disease at an early stage, making treatment more effective with fewer complications, cost savings, and a higher recovery rate.
If regular health check-ups are not possible, patients should seek medical attention early when experiencing prolonged hoarseness that progressively worsens and does not improve with laryngitis treatment. It is essential not to avoid medical consultations due to fear of illness. Laryngeal cancer becomes much harder to treat in its later stages, posing a high risk to the patient's life.
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