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Laryngeal Cancer
(OC010)
Introduction

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Laryngeal cancer affects more than 12,000 persons every year in the U.S., and occurs in men more often than women. That is because the two main risk factors are smoking and alcohol abuse, which, in the past, have been more common among men than women. As these habits increase among women, the risk for these cancers also increases.

Cancers of the larynx are defined by the location:

• Supraglottis (the tissue above the glottis)
  
• Glottis (the middle part of the larynx where the vocal cords are located)
  
• Subglottis (the tissue below the glottis that connects the larynx to the trachea)
  

There are different types of laryngeal cancer

• Squamous Cell Carcinoma (accounts for 95% of cases)
  
• Adenocarcinoma
  
• Sarcoma
  

Treatment for laryngeal cancer usually consists of surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy. Often, a combination of approaches is used depending on the stage of the disease and the presence of other medical conditions that may limit a person's ability to tolerate certain treatments.

MediFocus Guides... When You Need Trustworthy Medical Information

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The Medifocus Guide on Laryngeal Cancer provides answers to the following important questions and medical issues:

• What are the most common symptoms of laryngeal cancer?
  
• Are there any recognized risk factors for developing laryngeal cancer?
  
• What kinds of medical tests are used to establish the diagnosis of laryngeal cancer?
  
• What is the current standard of care for the treatment of laryngeal cancer?
  
• What treatment options are available for the management of laryngeal cancer?
  
• Are there any promising new developments or potential breakthroughs in treatment?
  
• Who are the most notable medical authorities who specialize in laryngeal cancer?
  
• Where are the leading hospitals and centers of research for laryngeal cancer?
  
• What are the most important questions to ask my doctor about laryngeal cancer?
  

What Your Doctor Reads:

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This MediFocus Guide contains an extensive listing of citations and abstracts of recent journal articles that have been published about this condition in trustworthy medical journals. This is the same type of information that is available to physicians and other health care professionals. A partial selection of journal articles that are abstracted in this MediFocus Guide includes:

• Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis of the larynx: current diagnosis and treatment.
  Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America. 2000
• Nonsurgical treatment of advanced metastatic cervical disease in cancer of the larynx.
  2000
• Surgical treatment of the neck in cancer of the larynx.
  2000
• The pathology of neck dissection in cancer of the larynx.
  2000
• Diagnostic procedures for detection of lymph node metastases in cancer of the larynx.
  2000
• The pathology and management of subglottic cancer.
  European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology. 2000
• Asbestos exposure and laryngeal cancer.
  Annals of Occupational Hygiene. 2000
• Markers in cancer of the larynx and pharynx.
  Clinical Otolaryngology & Allied Sciences. 2000
• Granular cell tumors of the larynx.
  Journal of Voice. 2000
• Comparing treatment outcomes of radiotherapy and surgery in locally advanced carcinoma of the larynx: a comparison limited to patients eligible for surgery.
  International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics. 2000

MediFocus Guides... When You Need Trustworthy Medical Information

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MediFocus.com understands that consumers who are facing serious medical issues need access to credible, up-to-date medical information to help them make informed health-care decisions. That's why we've developed the MediFocus Guides...the most advanced and trustworthy patient research guides for over 200 chronic and life-threatening conditions. Each MediFocus Guide includes a detailed overview of the condition including information about diagnosis, treatment options, cutting-edge research, and new developments; excerpts of important journal articles from the current medical literature focusing on standard treatments and treatment options; a directory of leading authors and medical institutions who specialize in the treatment of the condition; and a listing of organizations and support groups where you can obtain additional information about the illness.

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