Vocal Cord Cancer Treatments

Vocal cord cancer is more commonly known as cancer of the throat. This type of cancer is most common in men, especially smokers over the age of 50. There are a number of treatment options available for vocal cord cancer, depending on the size and severity of the cancer.

Surgery

• Surgery is a common treatment for vocal cord cancer when the tumor is small enough to be removed. Laser surgery is a popular option due to high success rates and short recovery times.

Radiation

• Radiation is the most common treatment for early-stage vocal cord cancer. This treatment uses X-ray energy to kill cancer cells, and it can usually preserve a patient's vocal ability.

Radiation and Chemotherapy Combination

• If the tumor is large or the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, doctors may recommend a combination of radiation and chemotherapy. The NIH has found that this treatment is usually successful in sparing the vocal cords and preserving speech.

Removal of the Vocal Cords

• In some advanced cases, surgical removal of the vocal cords may be necessary. Depending on the case, doctors may be able to implant artificial vocal cords.

Therapy

• The NIH has found that many treatments of vocal cord cancer require speech and swallowing therapy to help the patient adapt to changes in the throat.