Caution: Male smokers should guard against the “invasion” of laryngeal cancer

Laryngeal cancer is a malignant tumor of the larynx, ranking third among malignant tumors in the otolaryngology department. The incidence rate has been increasing in recent years. Laryngeal cancer is more common in people over 40 years old. It is more common in men than in women, with a male-to-female ratio of 10:1. More than 90% of laryngeal cancer patients have a long history of smoking, generally for more than 20 years. The incidence rate of laryngeal cancer is proportional to the daily smoking amount and the total smoking time. It has been confirmed that benzopyrene in the tar produced by tobacco combustion has a carcinogenic effect. Tobacco can cause mucosal congestion and edema, epithelial hyperplasia and squamous metaplasia, and cessation or retardation of ciliary movement, which becomes the basis for carcinogenesis.

The occurrence of laryngeal cancer is related to smoking and inhalation of harmful dust, but smoking accounts for 90% of the causes. On the basis of chronic inflammation of the pharynx, long-term stimulation from tobacco, alcohol, spicy food, and frequent exposure to harmful dust can promote cancer. In addition, heavy smokers and drinkers will have a significantly higher risk of laryngeal cancer because the two have a synergistic effect. At present, the incidence of laryngeal cancer is higher in cities than in rural areas, and in heavy industrial cities with heavy air pollution than in light industrial cities with light pollution.

The early symptoms of laryngeal cancer are generally not obvious. Some only manifest as a foreign body sensation in the throat and hoarseness, which can easily be mistaken for respiratory diseases such as colds, pharyngitis, bronchitis, etc. and be ignored. Typical symptoms of laryngeal cancer include hoarseness, sore throat, difficulty breathing, or coughing up blood. The appearance of a lump in the neck is also a common symptom of laryngeal cancer. Due to the different locations of laryngeal cancer, the time when the hoarseness symptom appears is also different. For example, vocal cord cancer, because the tumor grows on the vocal cords, hoarseness first occurs, which easily attracts people's attention and is discovered earlier. Vocal cord cancer is the most common type of laryngeal cancer, accounting for about 60%. Laryngeal cancer occurring in the supraglottic or subglottic area, because the early symptoms are not obvious, often manifests as discomfort in the throat or a foreign body sensation. When hoarseness occurs, it is generally in the late stage.

The above introduction is that smoking can cause laryngeal cancer. For middle-aged and older patients who have abnormal throat discomfort and foreign body sensation, and hoarseness lasting for more than 2 weeks, a detailed laryngoscopy should be performed to detect laryngeal cancer at an early stage.