What are the complications after radiotherapy for laryngeal cancer

Laryngeal cancer is a malignant tumor that occurs in the laryngeal mucosa. Patients often undergo radiotherapy before or after surgery as an auxiliary or consolidation treatment. However, a series of complications after radiotherapy also cause great pain to patients and should be paid attention to. What are the complications after radiotherapy for laryngeal cancer?

Radiation laryngeal perichondritis and cartilage necrosis

After radiotherapy, submucosal blood vessels and lymphatic embolism in the larynx are prone to edema. Patients may experience glottal edema in the early stages of radiation, and dry and painful throats and red and swollen skin may occur several months after radiotherapy. These are the main manifestations of laryngeal perichondritis. As symptoms further develop, cartilage necrosis may occur.

Especially for patients who have received excessive radiation, or whose laryngeal cartilage has been invaded by tumors before radiation or who have undergone laryngeal cartilage surgery, repeated biopsies after radiotherapy are likely to cause cartilage necrosis due to further infection. Perichondritis may recover with conservative treatment alone, but cartilage necrosis requires surgical removal of necrotic bone, and total laryngectomy is required if necessary.

Laryngeal mucosal edema

Laryngeal mucosal edema is a common complication of radiotherapy. It usually disappears within 1 to 2 months. If the edema persists for more than 6 months or reappears after disappearing, it should be considered that the cancer has not been completely removed or controlled. Immediate measures should be taken to make a clear diagnosis and timely treatment. The main difference between laryngeal mucosal edema and radiation laryngeal perichondritis and cartilage necrosis is that there is no pain and skin redness and swelling.

Local inflammation of the larynx

After radiotherapy, laryngeal cancer patients may have local laryngeal inflammation due to the sensitivity of the larynx to radiation, which may be complicated by dyspnea. Patients may experience dry and sore throat, dysphagia, dysphonia, and pigmentation in the irradiation field. These symptoms seriously affect the patient's recovery. In order to reduce the local damage caused by radiotherapy, appropriate measures should be taken in time before radiotherapy to strengthen prevention.