Recommendations

The recommendations for larynx preservation include the following:

• The first approach to the treatment of nearly all patients with T1 or T2 (early-stage) laryngeal cancer should be to preserve the larynx.
• The most widely applicable approach for preserving the larynx while treating patients with T3 or T4 (late-stage) laryngeal cancer that does not extend outside the voice box into the surrounding soft tissue is chemoradiation therapy.
• Laryngeal cancer is best treated with a specialized team of doctors and other health care professionals who can provide support and rehabilitative services, such as medical and radiation oncologists, surgeons, otolaryngologists (ear, nose, and throat doctors), maxillofacial prosthodontists (specialists who perform restorative surgery to the head and neck areas), dentists, physical therapists, speech pathologists, audiologists, psychiatrists, nurses, dietitians, and social workers.
• Patients are encouraged to talk with their doctors about the risks and benefits of various treatment options when comparing treatments that preserve the larynx with total laryngectomy.