Laryngeal cancer is a disease where abnormal cells multiply out of control in the larynx, commonly known as the voice box, a vital part of the throat that helps you breathe, speak, and swallow. This condition, which represents about one-third of all head and neck cancers, typically affects people over 55 years of age and occurs more frequently in men than women. Understanding the warning signs and risk factors can make a significant difference in early detection and treatment outcomes.

How Common Is Laryngeal Cancer

Laryngeal cancer is part of a broader category called head and neck cancers. In the United States, approximately 12,500 people receive a diagnosis of laryngeal cancer every year. This means that although it is not among the most common cancers overall, it remains a significant health concern affecting thousands of individuals and their families.^[1]

About 4,000 people die from this disease each year in the United States, highlighting the importance of early detection and proper treatment. The cancer accounts for roughly one-third of all head and neck cancers globally, making it a considerable source of illness and death worldwide.^[2]

The disease can affect individuals of all ages and backgrounds, though certain patterns emerge when looking at who gets diagnosed. Men are approximately five times more likely to develop laryngeal cancer compared to women. This difference may be linked to higher rates of smoking and heavy alcohol use among men, both of which are major risk factors for this type of cancer.^[1]

Age also plays a significant role in who develops laryngeal cancer. The condition occurs more often in people aged 55 and older, making it a disease that typically affects middle-aged and older adults rather than younger people.^[1]

What Causes Laryngeal Cancer

Laryngeal cancer develops when cells in the larynx undergo changes that cause them to grow uncontrollably. Instead of following the normal pattern of growth and death, these cells multiply rapidly and invade nearby tissues, causing damage to the body. Understanding what triggers these cellular changes can help in preventing the disease.^[1]

One important cause of laryngeal cancer is infection with certain types of human papillomavirus, or HPV. HPV is a sexually transmitted infection that exists in many different forms. Some strains of this virus can lead to the development of cancer in the larynx. This connection between HPV and laryngeal cancer has become increasingly recognized in recent years.^[1]

The most significant cause, however, is tobacco use. Smoking cigarettes or using other tobacco products dramatically increases the likelihood of developing this cancer. When you smoke, harmful chemicals come into direct contact with the cells of your larynx, repeatedly damaging them and increasing the chance that some cells will become cancerous over time.

Alcohol consumption, particularly drinking more than one alcoholic beverage daily, also raises the risk. What makes this especially dangerous is that using both tobacco and alcohol together increases risk even more than using either one alone. The combination creates a particularly harmful environment for the cells in your throat and voice box.^[1]

Risk Factors That Increase Your Chances

While anyone can develop laryngeal cancer, certain factors make some people more vulnerable than others. Being aware of these risk factors can help you understand your own risk level and potentially make changes to reduce it.

Smoking or using other tobacco products stands out as the single most important risk factor. The connection between tobacco and laryngeal cancer is extremely strong, with the vast majority of people diagnosed with this cancer having a history of tobacco use.^[3]

Heavy alcohol consumption, especially drinking more than one drink per day, significantly raises your risk. When tobacco and alcohol use occur together, the risk multiplies rather than simply adding up. This combined effect makes the larynx particularly vulnerable to developing cancer.^[1]

Age matters considerably. People aged 55 and older face a higher risk than younger individuals. This may be related to the cumulative effect of exposure to risk factors over many years, as well as age-related changes in how cells repair damage.^[1]

Having had head and neck cancer before puts you at increased risk. About one in four people who have been treated for head and neck cancer will develop it again in the future. This means that if you have survived one head and neck cancer, regular monitoring becomes especially important.^[1]

Certain workplace exposures can increase risk as well. People who work with specific hazardous substances face higher chances of developing laryngeal cancer. These substances include sulfuric acid mist, wood dust, nickel, asbestos, and chemicals used in manufacturing mustard gas. Workers who operate machinery regularly may also have elevated risk, possibly due to exposure to metal-working fumes and other industrial substances.^[1][2]

Warning Signs and Symptoms

One of the challenges with laryngeal cancer is that its early symptoms can easily be mistaken for less serious conditions like a common cold or throat infection. However, paying attention to persistent symptoms and knowing when to seek medical attention can lead to earlier diagnosis and better outcomes.

The most common symptom is hoarseness or a change in your voice that does not improve after a few weeks. Many people experience temporary hoarseness when they have a cold or after shouting, but when this voice change persists beyond two weeks, it warrants medical evaluation. Because the larynx contains your vocal cords, cancer in this area often affects how your voice sounds.^[1]

A sore throat or cough that refuses to go away is another warning sign. Most sore throats resolve within a week or two, but a sore throat that lingers despite treatment may indicate something more serious requiring investigation.^[3]

Difficulty or pain when swallowing can occur with laryngeal cancer. You might feel like food is getting stuck in your throat, or swallowing might cause discomfort. This happens because the tumor may be interfering with the normal swallowing process.^[3]

Ear pain can be a symptom, even though the cancer is located in the throat. This occurs because nerves that serve both areas can refer pain from one location to another. Similarly, you might notice a lump in your neck or throat that you can feel from the outside.^[1]

Some people experience dysphonia, which means having trouble making voice sounds properly. This goes beyond simple hoarseness and involves actual difficulty producing sound when you try to speak.^[1]

More serious symptoms require immediate medical attention. Trouble breathing, called dyspnea, can occur if a tumor grows large enough to block the airway. Breathing that sounds noisy and high-pitched, known as stridor, indicates significant airway obstruction. The feeling that something is stuck in your throat, called globus sensation, can be distressing. Coughing up blood, or hemoptysis, always requires urgent evaluation.^[1]

How To Lower Your Risk

While not all cases of laryngeal cancer can be prevented, there are concrete steps you can take to significantly reduce your risk of developing this disease. Prevention strategies focus primarily on avoiding or eliminating the major risk factors.

The single most important thing you can do is to avoid tobacco in all its forms. If you currently smoke or use other tobacco products, quitting is the best decision you can make for your health. Tobacco smoke contains numerous chemicals that damage the cells in your larynx and throughout your body. Even if you have been smoking for many years, quitting at any point reduces your cancer risk compared to continuing.^[3]

Limiting alcohol consumption is also important. If you choose to drink, keep it moderate. Health guidelines generally suggest no more than one drink per day. Avoiding heavy drinking reduces not only your laryngeal cancer risk but also your risk for many other health problems.

If you work in an environment where you are exposed to substances like wood dust, asbestos, nickel, or other industrial chemicals, taking proper safety precautions is crucial. Use recommended protective equipment, follow workplace safety protocols, and ensure adequate ventilation in your work area. Reducing your exposure to these harmful substances can lower your risk considerably.^[1]

Since some forms of HPV can contribute to laryngeal cancer, vaccination against HPV may offer some protection. HPV vaccines are most effective when given before a person becomes sexually active, but they can still provide benefits even later in life. Discuss with your healthcare provider whether HPV vaccination might be appropriate for you or your family members.

Regular medical and dental checkups can also play a role in prevention. Your healthcare providers can examine your mouth and throat during routine visits and may notice early changes that need further investigation. If you have a history of head and neck cancer, following your doctor’s recommendations for regular monitoring is especially important since you have a higher risk of developing another cancer.^[1]

How The Disease Affects Your Body

To understand laryngeal cancer, it helps to know about the larynx itself. The larynx, or voice box, is a tube-shaped structure in your neck located between the base of your tongue and your windpipe, called the trachea. It plays critical roles in breathing, speaking, and swallowing, making it essential for daily life.^[3]

The larynx has three main sections. The supraglottis is the upper part, located above the vocal cords. It includes a flap of cartilage called the epiglottis. More than one in three laryngeal cancers, about 35 percent, start in this upper region. The glottis is the middle part where the vocal cords are located. This is where most laryngeal cancers begin, with about 60 percent starting here. The subglottis is the lower part, between the vocal cords and the windpipe. Only about 5 percent of laryngeal cancers, roughly one in twenty, start in this area.^[1][3]

Most laryngeal cancers develop from squamous cells, which are thin, flat cells that line the inside of the larynx. This type is called squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. These cells cover the surfaces inside your throat and voice box, and when they become cancerous, they begin multiplying rapidly and invading surrounding tissues.^[3]

In rare cases, other types of cancer can develop in the larynx. These include cancers from minor salivary glands, sarcomas arising from connective tissues, melanomas, and lymphomas. However, these rare types account for only a small fraction of all laryngeal cancers.^[2]

Before becoming fully cancerous, cells in the larynx may go through a precancerous stage called dysplasia. During dysplasia, the cells have changed and look abnormal under a microscope, but they have not yet become true cancer. However, dysplasia represents a higher risk that cancer will eventually develop if left untreated. Most squamous cell cancers of the larynx begin as dysplasia before progressing to invasive cancer.^[7]

When cancer does develop, it can spread in several ways. It may grow into nearby structures such as the thyroid gland, trachea, or esophagus. It can also spread to lymph nodes in the neck. These are small bean-shaped organs that are part of your immune system. Cancer cells can travel through the lymphatic system to these nodes and establish new tumors there. In advanced cases, cancer may spread to more distant parts of the body, including the chest, carotid artery, upper spine, or other organs.^[3]