Laryngeal cancer treatment in India with cutting-edge technologies with highest survival rates
Did you know larynx cancer is one of the most common types of head and neck cancer?
According to the National Cancer Institute, laryngeal cancer represents around 0.7% of all new cancer cases across the globe. About 12,620 new cases of laryngeal cancer were detected in 2021.
We understand getting detected with cancer can sometimes be overwhelming. Typically, people with cancer develop depression. However, getting the correct treatment, from the right doctor at the right time can help you defeat laryngeal cancer.
Also, advanced technology for laryngeal cancer treatment and modern infrastructure help doctors to provide the best treatment to their patients.
Let me share the successful treatment story of one of our clients Mr. Mohammed Bello Sule, who contacted us for treatment for his laryngeal cancer.
Mr. Sule is a 55-year-old senior pharma corporate from Abuja, Nigeria.
Mr. Sule is a busy corporate with a beautiful family. Despite the busy schedule Mr. Sule ensured to spend quality time with his family. Apart from spending time with his family, Mr. Sule likes to sing in family/office events. While rehearsing for an event Mr. Sule felt hoarseness in his voice, but he dismissed it as a sore throat.
A few days later, he went for a routine checkup, where his doctor enquired about his sore throat. After an initial examination of the throat, the doctor suspected it was a case of acid reflux. Still, the doctor suggested Mr. Sule visit a specialist as he felt that something was amiss with Mr. Sule’s right vocal cord.
Mr. Sule booked an appointment with the specialist, who suggested Mr. Sule undergo a biopsy and a CT scan. The CT scan reports indicated an outgrowth. Meanwhile, the family crossed their fingers while praying for a negative biopsy result. On the contrary, the biopsy reports came positive, confirming laryngeal cancer. The diagnosis of cancer left the family depressed.
Nevertheless, the family united together and decided to fight cancer that had infiltrated stealthily. The family started to look for treatment options and visited a few oncologists in Abuja and Lagos.
But the family was not convinced by the treatment offered by any of the oncologists for Mr. Sule. The surgeons advocated for that surgery, while the radiologist suggested radiotherapy.
Disheartened by the treatment options available, Cumba Mr. Sule’s daughter searched online for treatment for laryngeal cancer. While browsing the internet, Cumba got to know about the tumor board.
However, the family was unable to get a holistic view regarding the treatment. Finally, the family got in touch with MedicoExperts for a solution.
Cumba shared the medical reports of her father with us. Once we received the reports we presented the case to the tumor board. Based on the initial reports, the tumor board advised combination treatment for Mr. Sule.
The combination treatment involved surgery, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy. However, the board further clarified that the final treatment protocol will be advised after a thorough physical examination. Once all the doubts of the Sule family were cleared regarding the treatment procedure, our team arranged a video call with the head of the board.
The tumor board included medical oncologists, radiologists, cancer surgeons, otolaryngologists, and psychologists. After the video consultation, the Sule family was convinced by the treatment protocol and decided to come to India.
After the Sule family arrived in India, Mr. Sule got admitted to one of the impaneled NABH and JCI accredited hospitals. After the initial investigations, the laryngeal cancer treatment protocol was a bit modified based on the new findings.
It took around two months for Mr. Sule to become cancer-free. After two months, the Sule family was happy with the laryngeal cancer treatment in India. The family returned to Abuja after defeating cancer.
The family was touched with the hospitality, care, guidance, and outcomes of the treatment. The family Thanked MedicoExperts and doctors from the bottom of their hearts.
Mr. Sule now leads a happy cancer-free life with his family.
The story of Mr. Sule can be your victory over the cancer story too. What you need is the right guidance, right doctor, right treatment, right hospital at right time.
Before we move ahead in the discussion, let’s first understand about the larynx and its cancer.
The larynx is the voice box of the human body, which is anatomically placed in the throat. Larynx is encased by the laryngeal cartilage and muscle that enables you to talk.
Apart from producing sound, the larynx also plays a crucial role in preventing inhalation of food, and in breathing.
Although a small organ, the larynx can be divided into three parts:
- The supraglottis,
- The glottis, and
- The subglottis,
About 60% of laryngeal cancer develops in the glottis.
Laryngeal cancer is a common type of throat cancer that affects the larynx causing an abnormal and uncontrolled growth of the cells present in the larynx.
Laryngeal cancer is common among people with a history of smoking. However, some people can develop laryngeal cancer without any known causes.
What are the different types of laryngeal cancer?
Based on the cells involved laryngeal cancer is categorized into:
Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common type of laryngeal cancer that develops on the flat squamous cells that line the larynx.
Adenocarcinoma of the larynx is uncommon. This type of cancer usually starts in the adenomatous cells scattered on the surface of the larynx. The adenomatous cells are responsible for producing mucus.
The sarcoma of the larynx is extremely rare. Generally, the sarcoma of the larynx begins to develop from the connective tissue of the body.
A few people develop lymphoma of the larynx.
Sometimes, a few people develop plasmacytoma in the larynx, a type of blood cancer.
What are the different stages of laryngeal cancer?
Before understanding the different stages of laryngeal cancer let us understand staging. Staging is a process by which the doctors determine the extent of the spread of cancer.
Laryngeal cancer can broadly have five stages. Stage 0, or carcinoma in situ is the initial grade. Typically, the main stages of laryngeal cancer include stages one to four.
Apart from these four numbers, some of the stages can further be divided into A, B, C, D. The lower number and earlier alphabet signify the lower stages of cancer.
What are the symptoms of laryngeal cancer?
If you have laryngeal cancer you may experience the following symptoms:
- Hoarseness or a change in your voice
- Dysphagia or difficulty in swallowing food
- Difficulty in breathing
- Unexplained weight loss
- A persistent feeling of a lump in your throat
- Halitosis or foul-smelling breath.
- Rarely do a few people complain of constant earache.
- Wheezing or abnormal lung sound while breathing
- Swelling in the neck
- Unexplained fatigue or tiredness
In case you have hoarseness for more than three weeks, consult your doctor. If these trivial symptoms are taken care of on time, you can avoid developing severe complications.
What causes laryngeal cancer?
While doctors are yet to ascertain the cause for laryngeal cancer. The various factors commonly associated with laryngeal cancer include:
- Usage of tobacco or excessive consumption of alcohol
- Smoking
- Family history of cancer
- People infected by HPV or human papillomavirus
- People with a history of GERD or Gastroesophageal reflux disease
- Prolong exposure to certain gasses like nickel, sulphuric acid, or wood dust
How is laryngeal cancer diagnosed?
If you have the above symptoms, your doctor might suggest you undergo some tests which includes:
To confirm laryngeal cancer, your doctor might need to examine the larynx with the help of an instrument called a laryngoscope. Your doctor can examine your larynx either by checking the reflection of your larynx in the mirror of the laryngoscope or indirect laryngoscopy.
Alternatively, your doctor can insert a flexible fiber-optic laryngoscope into your throat to take a look at your larynx and other structures around it or a direct laryngoscope.
Direct rigid laryngoscopy is a complex procedure that allows your doctor to examine your larynx completely. During direct rigid laryngoscopy, your doctor will administer anesthetic drugs through intravenous or IV line. During this procedure, the doctor examines the throat for any tumor. Sometimes the doctor may collect biopsy samples too while performing direct rigid laryngoscopy.
To ascertain the presence of cancer cells in the larynx, your doctor may recommend you undergo a biopsy (larynx biopsy). Generally, your doctor inserts a fine needle into the larynx to collect tissues for biopsy. The tissue collected from the larynx gets analyzed in the laboratory to determine the presence of cancer cells.
With the help of imaging tests, your doctor can visualize internal organs and their condition.
CT Scan: CT scan helps your doctor determine the size of the tumor and its extent.
MRI scan: By performing an MRI scan, your doctor can determine the spread of cancer in the neck or other body parts.
Before starting the treatment, your doctor may suggest a few tests to determine the measure of different types of blood cells in the body. Sometimes, your doctor might suggest you undergo a Lung function test as well.
During radiation therapy, the radiologist uses high-energy X-Ray or other particles to destroy cancer cells. Commonly doctors in India use external beam radiation therapy also known as intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). IMRT works best in killing cancer cells while ensuring minimal damage to surrounding healthy cells.
Usually, doctors advise chemotherapy for people with laryngeal cancer before advising surgery. During the chemotherapy, your doctor will administer certain drugs or a combination of drugs to destroy cancer cells.
Laryngeal cancer can be removed surgically too. During surgery, the surgical oncologist removes the cancerous cells along with some healthy cells. Sometimes the surgeon is unable to remove cancer completely. In that case, your doctor may advise you on some other treatment along with surgery.
Laser surgery is a revolutionary cancer treatment method. During laser surgery, your surgeon uses a small beam of light to remove cancer.
Immunotherapy or biologic therapy is the latest technique used by doctors to treat cancer while enhancing immunity. Immunotherapy is often performed along with chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Your doctor may suggest targeted therapy for you if he feels that you are too weak to undergo surgery. By using targeted therapy your doctor aims to destroy the cancer cells and their spread to other parts of the body.
The location of cancer in the larynx determines the treatment for newly diagnosed stage I laryngeal cancer.
Treatment options for cancer of the supraglottis (The upper part of the larynx (voice box), including the epiglottis; the area above the vocal cords.) include the following:
- Radiation therapy
- Supraglottic laryngectomy (surgery)
If cancer has spread to the glottis (The middle part of the larynx; the area where the vocal cords are located.), treatment options include:
- Radiation therapy
- Laser surgery
- Cordectomy
- Partial laryngectomy, hemilaryngectomy, or total laryngectomy (surgery)
If cancer has spread to the subglottis (The lowest part of the larynx; the area from just below the vocal cords down to the top of the trachea.), treatment options include:
- Radiation therapy with or without surgery.
- Surgery alone.
In stage II, treatment option includes if
Cancer is in the supraglottis
- Radiation therapy to the tumor and nearby lymph nodes.
- Supraglottic laryngectomy may be followed by radiation therapy.
Cancer is in the glottis,
- Radiation therapy.
- Laser surgery.
- Partial laryngectomy, hemilaryngectomy, or total laryngectomy.
Cancer is in the subglottis,
- Radiation therapy with or without surgery.
- Surgery alone.
In stage III, doctors typically do the following treatments.
If cancer is in the supraglottis
- Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are performed simultaneously.
- Chemotherapy is given first, followed by chemotherapy and radiation therapy. If cancer persists, a laryngectomy may be performed.
- For patients who cannot be treated with chemotherapy or surgery, radiation therapy is used alone.
- Surgery may be followed by radiation therapy.
If cancer is in the glottis
- Same treatment as supraglottis
If cancer is in the subglottis
- Laryngectomy with total thyroidectomy and lymph node removal is usually followed by radiation therapy.
- For patients who cannot be treated with chemotherapy or surgery, radiation therapy is used alone.
- Chemotherapy is given first, followed by chemotherapy and radiation therapy. If cancer persists, a laryngectomy may be performed.
- A clinical trial of immunotherapy, chemotherapy, radiosensitizers, or radiation therapy.
Treatment is the same as stage III.
Being diagnosed with cancer is frightening, but it’s critical to get the best treatment possible at a reasonable cost. You must ensure the following before choosing a country for laryngeal cancer treatment:
- The chosen country has world-class healthcare facilities as well as advanced treatment technologies.
- Choose a country that has a high survival rate.
- The country has a high success rate
- The treatment and stay in the chosen country are both affordable.
You must also consider other factors such as the availability of connecting flights, the ease of local transportation, and the safety of the chosen country, in addition to the availability of world-class treatment and affordability.
One of the most important decisions you can make for your laryngeal cancer treatment is to choose an oncologist. An experienced and qualified doctor can help you get the best treatment for your laryngeal cancer.
You should not rely on just one doctor for a successful outcome and higher success and survival rates. To improve your chances of success and survival, you should consult with other oncologists.
The tumor board approach is the new way to fight against cancer. In which highly skilled medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists work closely on the case to achieve the best possible treatment outcome.
This tumor board approach is very successful and increased the overall success and survival rate, MedicoExperts helps patients around the world with its tumor board approach to get the best outcome.
After you’ve decided on a country for treatment, the next step is to choose a hospital. Before confirming a hospital for laryngeal cancer treatment, make sure that the hospital is equipped with the most up-to-date cancer treatment devices.
You should also make sure that the hospital uses a multidisciplinary approach to treatment, allowing you to consult with specialists such as surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and well-trained nurses.
Furthermore, before confirming a hospital, make sure that the hospital has a dedicated cancer treatment unit.
MedicoExperts empaneled hospitals is been created on the above guidelines.
The cost of treatment for laryngeal cancer in India is significantly low compared to other western countries. Typically, the cost of throat cancer surgery in India ranges between USD $4,600 and $6,000 (342488 – 446724 INR).
Whereas, the cost for chemotherapy for laryngeal cancer treatment in India ranges between USD $2000- $5000 (148908 – 372270 INR).
The estimated cost for radiotherapy for laryngeal cancer treatment in India ranges between USD $1,000- $4,000 per session (74454 – 297816 INR).
However, the cost of treatment varies for every patient depending on their health, treatment involved, medication, and the stage of cancer.
What is the survival rate of laryngeal cancer treatment in India?
When detected early, laryngeal cancer has an excellent prognosis. Also, the cutting-edge technology and modern infrastructure of hospitals in India enhance the success rate of laryngeal cancer treatment.
According to the Cancer Research, UK, the survival statistics of people having different stage of laryngeal cancer is:
- Stage 1: Around 90% of people with stage 1 laryngeal cancer lead a normal life after the treatment.
- Stage 2: Around 70% people with stage 2 laryngeal cancer lead a normal life after the treatment.
- Stage 3: Around 60% of people with stage 3 laryngeal cancer lead a normal life after the treatment
- Stage 4: Around 20-30% of people with stage 4 laryngeal cancer survive after the treatment for laryngeal cancer.
At MediExpert we try to help you find the best treatment for laryngeal cancer in India at a reasonable cost.
Frequently Asked Questions and patient concerns:
1. What are the warning signs of laryngeal cancer?
Generally, the warning signs of laryngeal cancer depend on the location of cancer. Sometimes, there are no warning signs. However, if you experience the following signs or symptoms for more than two weeks it may be laryngeal cancer:
- Hoarseness or change in voice
- Swelling in the throat
- Pain or difficulty in swallowing or chewing food
- The sensation of a lump in the throat
- Sore throat
2. How long do I need to stay in the hospital after surgery for laryngeal cancer?
Typically, you might need to stay in the hospital for around 3-5 days after your surgery for laryngeal cancer.
3. Are there any side effects of laryngeal cancer treatment?
The side effects of laryngeal cancer treatment depend on the treatment chosen.
A few people may experience the following side-effects after chemotherapy:
- Excessive hair fall
- Fatigue
- Nausea and vomiting
- Altered appetite
- Mouth ulcers
- Bitterness in mouth
- Constantly dry mouth
People who went under the knife usually experience the following side effects of laryngeal cancer surgery includes:
- Stiffness and pain in the shoulder and neck.
Rarely,
- Fever
- Chills
- Swelling
- Pain and bleeding
If you experience pain, chills, fever, swelling or pain and bleeding after laryngeal cancer surgery contact your doctor at the earliest.
Usually, people experience the following side effects after radiation therapy for laryngeal cancer:
- Irritability
- Anxiety
- Hair loss
- Altered taste
- Mouth ulcers
- Fatigue
4. Where does laryngeal cancer spread first?
The lymph nodes that run along the side of the neck, known as the “jugular chain,” are the first lymph nodes where cancer cells spread. They’re in front of the major neck muscles on each side that contract when the head is turned to one side or the other.
5. What increases my risk of developing laryngeal cancer?
Older men are at high risk of developing cancer. Apart from older men, people who smoke or consume too much alcohol are also at an elevated risk of developing laryngeal cancer.
6. Does throat cancer affect your voice?
Among the signs and symptoms of throat cancer are: There’s a cough. Voice changes, such as hoarseness or difficulty speaking clearly and swallowing problems.
7. Is postoperative voice therapy required following laryngeal surgery?
Following the procedure, post-operative voice therapy is always recommended because it can significantly improve the patient’s voice quality.
MedicoExperts is a Global virtual hospital which is established to offer quality healthcare services at affordable pricing without compromising the success rates of the treatment.
MedicoExperts is having a network of highly experienced super specialist doctors and well equipped hospitals across the globe and offering second opinion through online video consultation and surgical interventions through its empanelled super specialist doctors at its network hospitals in 17 countries from 3 continents.
By the virtue of its approach and model, MedicoExperts is successfully achieve to deliver
- Latest and most advanced treatments with success rates of international benchmarks.
- Multiple cost options depending upon the hospital facilities, with the same doctor.
- Treatment option in multiple cities/state/countries.
- Trust and peace of mind.
Most suitable for patients who are looking for:-
- Planned Surgeries and treatment from most experienced doctors and at multiple cost options as per hospital facilities with best possible outcomes.
- Second Opinion from expert doctors.
- Complex cases involving multi specialities
- International patients looking for treatment from Indian doctors
Author Bio:
Dr. Subhamoy Mukherjee – Ph.D. (Oncology)
Dr. Subhamoy Mukherjee is a molecular oncologist with experience of working with genomic profiles. He has several years of experience in scientific writing. He takes strong interest in making people aware of different treatment approches in cancer, acute and chronic diseases. He also has interest in innovative approches for treating different mental and physical illnesses.
Content Medically Reviewed By MedicoExperts Editorial & Clinically Review Board
