Glottic Cancer

Excerpt

Laryngeal cancers are one of the most common head and neck malignancies and thought to make up 1% of all cancers worldwide. Glottic cancer is defined as a malignancy arising from the true vocal cords and the anterior and posterior commissure of the larynx. Like other laryngeal cancers, smoking and alcohol abuse typically causes glottic cancer; however, tumors from this subsite have a better prognosis than other laryngeal cancers due to its reduced rate of local, nodal and distant invasion. The management of glottic cancers can vary significantly, from single modality transoral laser surgery or radiotherapy in early disease, through to chemoradiotherapy or total laryngectomy for more advanced disease. Providers, therefore, must have a thorough understanding of the anatomy and staging of glottic cancer to facilitate the most appropriate management plan for this disease.