laryngeal cancer
Meaning of laryngeal cancer: Laryngeal cancer forms in the larynx, the structure used for breathing, swallowing, and speech, and most often begins in its lining cells.
Definition of laryngeal cancer
Laryngeal cancer is cancer that forms in the tissue of the larynx, the structure in the throat that contains the vocal cords and plays a central role in breathing, swallowing, and speaking. Most laryngeal cancers are squamous cell carcinomas, arising from the flat cells that line the surface of the larynx.
Laryngeal cancer can develop in different parts of the larynx, including the vocal cords themselves or the tissue above or below them, and where the cancer begins can influence both the symptoms it produces and how it tends to spread. A persistent change in voice is a common early symptom when the cancer involves the vocal cords directly, while cancer arising elsewhere in the larynx may cause fewer early symptoms.
Because the larynx sits at the crossing point of the airway and the digestive tract, laryngeal cancer and its treatment can affect breathing, swallowing, and voice, and evaluating the extent of disease generally involves direct visualization of the larynx along with imaging.
Used in a sentence
Laryngoscopy identified a lesion on the vocal cord that was confirmed as laryngeal cancer on biopsy.
Good to know
A persistent change in voice is a common early symptom of laryngeal cancer that begins on the vocal cords, but cancer arising elsewhere in the larynx can progress further before producing noticeable symptoms.
Word origin
Where “laryngeal cancer” comes from
Larynx derives from Greek larynx, an ancient term for the upper part of the windpipe; cancer is from Latin cancer, meaning crab.