Laryngeal cancer - this is a rare type of cancer. It is five times more common in men than in women, and is developing mainly in patients older than forty years. Three-quarters of patients with laryngeal cancer are over the age of sixty years. When the diagnosis in the early stages there is a fairly good chance that the cancer will be able to heal completely. In later stages, the forecast is much less favorable.

The symptoms of laryngeal cancer

In most cases, cancer of the larynx develops near the vocal cords, so the first noticeable symptom is often a change in the sound of the voice. For example, the voice may be hoarse or too quiet.

Other symptoms of cancer Symptoms of cancer: time to recognize the disease - a guarantee of recovery   larynx:

• Pain when swallowing or difficulty swallowing;
• Seals or swelling in the neck;
• A sore throat;
• Ear pain;
• Persistent cough;
• Unexplained weight reduction;
• Heavy breathing;
• Coughing up phlegm with blood;
• Bad breath Breath (halitosis) - is sometimes useful to close the mouth ;
• Fatigue and weakness.

When to seek medical advice

Consult your doctor if you experience any of the above symptoms, and they persist for more than three weeks.

Because these symptoms can be caused by many other disorders, it is unlikely that you have cancer of the larynx. However, we must do everything necessary to prevent the disease - or diagnose it as early as possible.

Cancer starts with changes in the structure of the DNA of cells. DNA provides the cells of our basic instructions, for example, about how to grow and when to play.

Changes in the structure of the DNA or mutations may change the instructions defining cell growth. This means that cells continue to grow at a time when similar cells have normal DNA must terminate its growth. This causes the cells to reproduce in an uncontrolled manner, and gradually form a tumor.

Risk factors

The impact of the following factors increases the risk of cancer of the larynx.

Alcohol and tobacco

Numerous data indicate that alcohol and tobacco are the two most important risk factors for the development of laryngeal cancer. It is believed that the alcohol and tobacco contain chemicals that affect the functioning of the cells of the larynx causing mutations that can lead to cancer Breast cancer - the verdict? .

Studies have shown that if a person smokes forty cigarettes a day, but do not drink alcohol, the risk of laryngeal cancer and some other cancers, he is five times higher than those who did not smoke or drink. If a person drinks the equivalent of thirty beers a week, the risk of developing throat cancer had also increased five times.

If the person smokes forty cigarettes a day and drank on average thirty beers per week, larynx cancer risk is increased by 38 times.

The fact that only a small number of smokers and heavy drinkers develop cancer of the larynx, allowed the researchers to suggest that there should be certain genetic mutations that make people more vulnerable to the effects of alcohol and smoking.

In people with cancer of the larynx was found a number of common genetic mutations. It is believed that these mutations disrupt the cells' ability to recover from throat damage caused by cigarette smoke and alcohol.

Human papillomavirus (HPV)

Papillomavirus Papilloma - do not treat lightly   human (HPV) - the name of a family of viruses that infect the skin and mucous membranes of the body.

Studies show that HPV may increase the risk of developing cancer of the larynx. In one out of five cases of patients with laryngeal cancer in the cancer tissue detected HPV DNA.

Dietary

There is reason to believe that a diet rich in red meat, refined foods and fried foods can increase the risk of cancer of the larynx.

Job

Exposure to certain substances at work can also increase the likelihood of developing cancer of the larynx. These agents include:

• Various dyes, especially aerosol;
• Coal dust;
• Wood dust;
• The fumes of diesel fuel;
• Nickel;
• Formaldehyde - a chemical that is used in many industrial processes such as the production of paints and cosmetics;
• Isopropyl alcohol is often used as a cleaning agent.

Lung cancer - one of the deadliest cancers. Every year it kills more people than colon cancer Colon cancer: creeps imperceptibly , Prostate, ovarian and breast cancer combined. The main cause of lung cancer is smoking - including continuous passive smoking. However, lung cancer develops in people who have never smoked - in such cases, the cause of the disease remains unclear.

Symptoms

In the early stages of lung cancer usually has no symptoms. As development, it may cause the following symptoms:

• Earlier, unusual for a patient persistent cough;
• If earlier the patient had a chronic cough - the changing nature of cough, the appearance of so-called smoker's cough;
• Coughing up blood;
• Shortness of breath;
• Chest pain;
• Wheezing;
• Hoarseness;
• Unexplained weight reduction;
• Pain in the bones;
• Headache.

How smoking causes lung cancer

Doctors believe that smoking causes lung cancer by damaging the cells covering the lungs. When a person inhales tobacco smoke contains many carcinogens, changes in lung tissue begin almost instantly. First, the body fairly quickly restored, but over time, with constant exposure to tobacco smoke, damage cells become greater. Gradually cause damage to these cells act atypical for them, in this may lead to the development of cancer.

Risk factors

The following factors increase the risk of developing lung cancer:

• Smoking remains the most significant risk factor for lung cancer. The risk increases with the number of cigarettes smoked per day and the number of years during which people continue to smoke. Quitting smoking at any age can significantly reduce the risk of developing lung cancer.
• Passive smoking. Regular inhalation of tobacco smoke, for example, if a person lives in a house with a smoker or worked in the bar, where you can smoke also increases the risk of lung cancer.
• Exposure to radon. Radon - a gas that is produced by fission of uranium in soil, rock or water, and in the end, it becomes a part of the air we breathe. Unsafe levels of radon can be observed in some buildings, including homes. There are special preparations designed for those who live in buildings with high radon levels.
• Asbestos and other chemicals. The risk of developing lung cancer increases if a person is at work on a regular basis in contact with substances such as asbestos, arsenic, chromium and nickel.
• Lung cancer is a family history. People whose immediate relatives suffered from lung cancer are at risk for the disease.
• Alcohol abuse also increases the risk of lung cancer.

Complications

Lung cancer can cause the following complications:

• Shortness of breath occurs when a cancerous tumor overlaps the airways. Additionally, lung cancer can cause the accumulation of fluid around the lung, because of which the light will be more difficult to expand during inhalation.
• Coughing up blood. Lung cancer may cause bleeding in the airway, and as a result, sputum expectoration of blood. Sometimes the bleeding becomes strong and requires special treatment.
• Pain. In the later stages of lung cancer can cause severe constant pain. To facilitate the patient's condition can be used anesthetics, radiation, and other therapies.
• Pleural effusion - fluid in the pleural cavity, which can cause lung cancer.
• Metastases. Lung cancer often spreads to other parts of the body - usually the brain, bones, liver and adrenal glands. Such cancer can cause severe pain, nausea, headaches and other symptoms, depending on the affected organs. Sometimes it is possible to cure the individual metastases Metastasis - danger everywhere But in most cases the problem of treatment at this stage of the disease is to alleviate symptoms.
• Death. Among patients who have been diagnosed with lung cancer survive only a few. The earlier the disease is detected, the greater the chance of survival.

Stage Lung Cancer

• Stage 1. Cancer grow only in the lungs; Tumor diameter is usually less than 5 cm. for treatment in this step is assigned surgery, sometimes - chemotherapy.
• Stage 2. Tumor diameter greater than 5 cm, or may be less than if the cancer had affected the surrounding structures such as the sternum, diaphragm, and pleura. At this stage of the cancer can already begin to spread to neighboring lymph nodes. Treatment: surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy.
• Stage 3. The tumor becomes very large and spreads to other organs close to the lungs; or smaller tumor, but the cancer cells spread to the lymph nodes, which are far from easy. Treatment: a combination of chemotherapy Chemotherapy - it always falls the hair?   Radiotherapy and Radiotherapy in cancer treatment: irradiation aid ; sometimes only chemotherapy. Sometimes, depending on the results of previous treatments assigned surgery.
• Stage 4. The cancer has spread to the other lung, or to distant parts of the body. Chemotherapy drug therapy to alleviate the symptoms, possible to use therapies that are in clinical trials.