Is my grandpa's laryngeal cancer hereditary?

Laryngeal cancer is a malignant tumor originating from the epithelial tissue of the laryngeal mucosa, with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma being the most common. It is more common in middle-aged and elderly men, especially those who are addicted to smoking. The occurrence of this disease is related to factors such as long-term smoking, alcoholism, inhalation of harmful substances and papillomavirus infection. The incidence of laryngeal cancer accounts for about 1% to 5% of all tumors in the body, and ranks third among otolaryngology tumors, second only to nasopharyngeal cancer and nasal and sinus cancers.

Many people are terrified when talking about laryngeal cancer, thinking it is an incurable disease. In fact, laryngeal cancer is not as terrible as imagined. As long as it is treated early and the correct treatment method is mastered, it can still be cured. So how to treat laryngeal cancer? The following will introduce you to the common methods of treating laryngeal cancer.

The most scientific method to treat laryngeal cancer is radiotherapy plus surgery. For patients with relatively small tumors, radiotherapy or surgery can be considered for treatment. Radiotherapy is performed 5 times a week, with two days of rest, for about 6 weeks. Surgery can mostly be performed through the mouth to remove tumor tissue. If the tumor is large, including tumors in multiple parts of the throat, radiotherapy and surgery can also be used.

Because the tumor has grown, treatment of laryngeal cancer must be more careful. Radiation therapy is basically the same as described above, but it treats a larger area of ​​​​the laryngeal cancer. If surgery is chosen, this operation is called a partial laryngectomy. An incision is made through the neck. During the operation, a temporary tracheotomy is performed, and the tracheal tube remains in place for a period of time after the operation.

For laryngeal cancer with a large tumor area, further expansion treatment should be adopted to achieve the purpose of treatment. The larger the scope of the operation, the more complete the tumor can be removed. In order to complete this operation, a permanent stoma can be made in the neck to ensure a normal airway after laryngectomy. Laryngeal cancer patients need to learn another pronunciation method to speak. Chemotherapy must be used for distant lesions such as lung metastasis, but note that some cancers are not metastatic, but multiple primary cancers, and separate surgeries or other treatments should be performed.

The genetic tendency of laryngeal cancer only shows that people with a family history of the disease have a relatively higher risk of disease than ordinary people, but it does not necessarily lead to the disease.