What is Laryngeal Cancer?

Laryngeal cancer starts in the cells that line the larynx (which is sometimes called the voice box). The larynx is a tube, about 5 cm long, that connects the back of the throat to the trachea (also called the windpipe). Two bands of muscle in the middle of the larynx – the vocal cords – make the sound of your voice. The front of the larynx is protected by thyroid cartilage, a layer of tough, flexible tissue (sometimes called the Adam’s apple).
The larynx plays an important role in breathing, swallowing and talking.
Breathing: As you breathe in, your vocal cords open and air passes from the back of your throat through the larynx down the windpipe to your lungs.
Swallowing: At the top of the larynx is a flap. When you swallow, this flap covers the opening of the larynx to keep food out of your lungs. Instead, the food moves through the esophagus to the stomach.
Talking: The sound of your voice is made in the larynx. When you talk, the vocal cords tighten and move closer together. The air that you breathe out is forced through the vocal cords, making them vibrate. You control the amount of air passing through the cords to speak, sing or shout. Your tongue, lips and teeth shape the sound into words.
Laryngeal cancer can start anywhere in the larynx, but it most often begins in the middle part of the larynx where the vocal cords are found. Cancers that start below the vocal cords are less common.