In the treatment of laryngeal cancer, surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy can be used alone or mixed. Radiotherapy is the most commonly used method. For people with small laryngeal tumors, radiotherapy alone is sometimes enough to cure cancer. As for people with large tumors, in addition to radiotherapy, it may be necessary to surgically remove part or all of the larynx. To avoid surgery, doctors may also consider using chemotherapy before radiotherapy, or using chemotherapy and radiotherapy at the same time. If the cancer has spread beyond the throat, radiation therapy will also be considered at this time. You may find that other patients with laryngeal cancer in the hospital receive different treatment methods from yours. This often happens, because their diseases are different, so their needs are different. It is also possible that doctors hold different views on treatment methods. Don't be afraid to ask your doctor if you have any questions about your treatment. Write down all the questions you want to ask and ask your family to accompany you to the doctor. Some people want to hear more professional advice before choosing a treatment. If you think it is necessary, you can ask for referral to other experts. If you have laryngeal cancer, quitting smoking will be very helpful to the curative effect.
After completing the course of treatment, the doctor will send you back to the hospital for regular check-ups, which usually last for several years. If you find yourself with a problem or notice any new symptoms, you must inform your doctor as soon as possible.
Radiotherapy is the use of high-energy rays to destroy cancer cells, while causing the lowest damage to normal cells as much as possible. Laryngeal cancer is usually treated like this first. For those patients whose cancer cells have not spread outside the larynx, radiotherapy is enough to cure laryngeal cancer. Radiotherapy can also be used after surgery to ensure the elimination of a very small number of cancer cells that may still exist, especially in the cervical lymph glands. Radiotherapy is performed in the radiotherapy department of the hospital. A course of radiotherapy is usually five days, Monday to Friday. Besides weekend rest, it is also important to avoid any unnecessary interruption of treatment. As for how many courses of treatment are needed, it depends on the type and size of the tumor. The doctor will discuss the treatment with you.