The clinical manifestations of laryngeal cancer depend on the location of the cancer

Because laryngeal cancer occurs in different parts of the body, its symptoms vary.

(1) Supraglottic type : includes laryngeal cancers with primary sites in the epiglottis, ventricular zone, laryngeal ventricle, and interarytenoid region. There are often no obvious symptoms in the early stages, only discomfort or foreign body sensation in the throat. When the surface of the tumor ulcerates, throat pain may occur, radiating to the ears, and the pain worsens when swallowing. After the tumor erodes the blood vessels, sputum contains blood and often has a foul odor; hoarseness and difficulty breathing only occur when it invades the vocal cords. Because this area is rich in lymphatic vessels, it is easy to metastasize to the upper group of lymph nodes of the internal jugular vein.

(2) Glottic area : The tumor usually occurs in the front and middle part of the vocal cords. The early symptom is hoarseness, which gradually worsens as the tumor grows. If it grows further, it will block the glottis and cause breathing difficulties. Since there are fewer lymphatic vessels in this area, the metastasis rate of cervical lymph nodes is low.

(3) Subglottic type : This refers to a tumor located below the vocal cords and above the lower edge of the cricoid cartilage. Due to its hidden location, early symptoms are not obvious and it is difficult to detect with routine laryngoscopy. If the tumor ulcerates, there will be cough and blood in the sputum. If the tumor invades the vocal cords, hoarseness may occur. As the tumor grows, it may block the subglottic cavity and cause breathing difficulties. It may also penetrate the cricothyroid membrane to the anterior neck muscles and thyroid gland, and may also invade the anterior wall of the esophagus.