Introduction

Cancer of the larynx (voice box) is one of the most common cancers of the upper airway. Over 10,000 new laryngeal cancers are diagnosed each year, and about 5000 people with this disease will die each year. There is a very strong association between this cancer and tobacco and/or alcohol use. Though more men have this cancer than women, women are catching up because of the increase of smoking in women.

Anatomy and Physiology

• The largest cartilage (thyroid cartilage) of the larynx can be felt in the neck as the Adam's apple. (Figure 1) The larynx is almost cylindrical in shape and is made up of various segments of cartilage surrounded by fibrous membranes. The larynx contains the vocal cords (Figure 2), which are important for speech

Figure 1 - The anatomy of the larynx and surrounding structures. Note the tracheal cartilage of the larynx that can be felt as the Adam's apple in front of the neck. Below the larynx lies the trachea. The larynx and trachea are partially covered by the thyroid gland. © T. Graves	Figure 2 - The vocal cords of the larynx as seen by a doctor using a laryngeal mirror. Note that the inside of the trachea can be seen through the open vocal cords and the opening to the esophagus can be seen lying behind the larynx. © T. Graves