Overview

The larynx, commonly called the voice box, is a tube-shaped organ in the neck that is important for breathing, talking, and swallowing. It is located at the top of the windpipe or trachea. The front walls protrude from the neck to form what most people call the Adam’s apple. During breathing, the larynx opens like a valve to allow air to pass into the lungs. During swallowing, the vocal folds (vocal cords) come together and with the epiglottis protect the airway and prevent food from entering to the lungs. The larynx contains the vocal folds that vibrate to make sound for speech production. Cancer can develop in any of these three parts of the larynx:

Glottis. Middle section that holds the vocal fold

Supraglottis. Area above the vocal folds

Subglottis. Area below the vocal folds that connects the larynx to the windpipe

The hypopharynx (also called the gullet) is the lower part of the throat and surrounds the larynx. The pharynx (throat) is a hollow tube about 5 inches long that starts behind the nose (nasopharynx) and ends at the level of the larynx (laryngopharynx). The pharynx is continuous with the esophagus (the tube that goes to the stomach).

Cancer occurs in the larynx or hypopharynx when normal cells begin to change, grow without control, and no longer die, forming a mass of cells called a tumor. A tumor can be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). A malignant tumor can invade nearby tissues and/or spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body.

About 95% of all cancers of the larynx and hypopharynx are of the squamous cell carcinoma type, meaning they begin in the flat, squamous cells in the lining of the organs.

Laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers are among the main types of cancer in the head and neck region, a grouping called head and neck cancer. Although this section covers both laryngeal cancer and hypopharyngeal cancer together, these are two separate types of cancer.

Statistics

Laryngeal cancer is one of the most common head and neck cancers. In 2009, an estimated 12,290 adults (9,920 men and 2,370 women) in the United States will be diagnosed with laryngeal cancer. It is estimated that 3,660 deaths (2,900 men and 760 women) from this disease will occur this year.

Each year, an estimated 2,400 adults (1,900 men and 500 women) in the United States will be diagnosed with hypopharyngeal cancer.

Cancer survival statistics should be interpreted with caution. These estimates are based on data from thousands of cases of this type of cancer in the United States each year, but the actual risk for a particular individual may differ. It is not possible to tell a person how long he or she will live with laryngeal or hypopharyngeal cancer. Because statistics are measured in five-year intervals, they may not represent advances made in the treatment or diagnosis of this cancer.

Statistics adapted from the American Cancer Society’s publication, Cancer Facts & Figures 2009.

Find out more about basic cancer terms used in this section.