How to deal with potential complications of laryngeal cancer

Laryngeal cancer is a malignant tumor of the larynx. Sometimes, laryngeal cancer is also called pharyngeal cancer, although the pharynx is larger than the larynx. The most common laryngeal cancer is laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, which is a malignant tumor originating from laryngeal squamous cells. So what are the complications of laryngeal cancer and how to treat it?

Typical symptoms of laryngeal cancer include hoarseness, sore throat, earache, difficulty breathing or coughing up blood in sputum. A lump in the neck is also a common symptom of laryngeal cancer. Although these symptoms can also occur in other unimportant diseases, if they occur, you should still go to the hospital for a detailed examination to rule out the possibility of laryngeal cancer.

Throat cancer is usually treated with radiation therapy and surgery. These are local treatments, meaning they only work on the cancer cells in a certain area. Some people also receive chemotherapy, called systemic treatment, which circulates through the bloodstream and kills cancer cells throughout the body. Your doctor will choose one treatment or a combination of treatments based on your needs. In some cases, you'll be referred to a team of doctors who are experts in a variety of cancer treatments.

Complications after laryngeal cancer surgery

Ensuring patient comfort is an important part of the hospital's daily work. If a patient experiences pain, medication can be used to relieve it. Patients can freely discuss pain relief with their doctors.

For several days after surgery, the patient cannot eat or drink. Initially, fluids are given intravenously, and the digestive tract returns to normal after one to two days, but the patient still cannot swallow because the throat has not healed. Fluids and nutrients are injected into the stomach through a nasogastric tube that was placed during surgery. When the swelling in the throat subsides and the wound gradually heals, the nasogastric tube can be removed. Swallowing is difficult at first, and the patient may need to resume regular eating little by little under the guidance of a nurse or speech pathologist.

After surgery, the lungs and trachea will produce a lot of sputum. The nurse will use a suction device to suck out the sputum in the cannula through a plastic tube. Gradually, the patient will be able to cough and suction sputum without the help of the nurse. For a period of time after surgery, it is also necessary to suck out the saliva in the mouth in time, because the swelling of the throat prevents the swallowing of saliva.

Normally, air enters the airway after being humidified by the nasal and laryngeal cavities, but after surgery, air enters the trachea directly through the tracheostomy without being humidified. In the hospital, patients can use a special humidification device to humidify the air entering the stoma.

For patients who have undergone partial laryngectomy, they breathe through the tracheotomy tube for a few days after the operation. Then the tracheal tube is removed and the stoma is closed. The patient can breathe and speak like a normal person, although the sound produced is not as perfect as before.

For patients who have had a total laryngectomy, the tracheostomy is permanent. Patients breathe and cough through the tracheostomy and have to learn new ways to make sounds. The tracheal tube must be left in place for at least several weeks until the skin incision around the stoma heals. Some patients have to wear the tube for a period of time or for life. If the tracheal tube is removed, it is replaced with a tracheostomy button. After a period of time, some patients can no longer rely on the tracheal tube and tracheostomy button. Part of the neck skin may be numb after a laryngectomy because the nerves in the corresponding area are cut during the operation. If the neck lymph nodes are dissected during the operation, weakness and stiffness in the shoulders and neck may occur.