Laryngeal cancer risk factors: who is more likely to get voice box cancer

What laryngeal cancer is

Laryngeal cancer is a disease in which cancer cells form in the tissues of the larynx. The larynx sits in the throat between the base of the tongue and the windpipe (trachea), and it contains the vocal cords, which vibrate to make the sound of your voice. Most laryngeal cancers start in squamous cells, the thin, flat cells that line the inside of the larynx (NCI PDQ).

Laryngeal cancer is a type of head and neck cancer (NCI PDQ). MedlinePlus groups it with other throat cancers, which are named by the part of the throat they affect: the oropharynx, the hypopharynx, the nasopharynx and the larynx (MedlinePlus). Cancer of the mouth is covered in our oral cancer risk factors guide.

Who is more likely to get laryngeal cancer

NCI names these risk factors:

• Tobacco. Using tobacco products can affect the risk of laryngeal cancer (NCI PDQ). For head and neck cancers, NCI counts secondhand smoke and smokeless tobacco (chewing tobacco or snuff) as tobacco use (NCI fact sheet).
• Drinking too much alcohol (NCI PDQ).
• Using both. People who use both tobacco and alcohol are at greater risk of head and neck cancers than people who use only one of them. NCI says most head and neck squamous cell cancers of the mouth and voice box are caused by tobacco and alcohol use (NCI fact sheet).
• Some jobs. People working in certain jobs in the construction, metal, textile, ceramic, logging and food industries may have a higher risk of voice box cancer. Some industrial exposures, including asbestos and synthetic fibers, have been linked to voice box cancer, but NCI says the increase in risk remains controversial (NCI fact sheet).

MedlinePlus also names tobacco use and heavy drinking as the main risk factors for throat cancer (MedlinePlus).

Head and neck cancers as a group are more than twice as common in men as in women, and are diagnosed more often in people over age 50 than in younger people (NCI fact sheet). NCI adds that having a risk factor does not mean you will get the cancer, and some people with no known risk factor do get it (NCI PDQ).

What about HPV?

Infection with cancer-causing types of human papillomavirus (HPV), especially HPV type 16, is a risk factor for oropharyngeal cancers, those of the tonsils or the base of the tongue. NCI says HPV can be found in other head and neck cancers, but it appears to cause cancer only in the oropharynx (NCI fact sheet). So NCI does not list HPV as a cause of cancer of the voice box.

Signs to check with a doctor

NCI lists a sore throat or cough that does not go away, trouble or pain when swallowing, ear pain, a lump in the neck or throat, and a change or hoarseness in the voice (NCI PDQ). For cancers of the voice box, the NCI fact sheet also names trouble breathing or speaking (NCI fact sheet). These signs can have other, less serious causes (NCI fact sheet).

How it is diagnosed

Along with your health history, a doctor may examine the throat and neck, look at the larynx with a mirror or a thin lighted tube (laryngoscopy or endoscopy), take a tissue sample (biopsy) and order imaging such as a CT scan or MRI (NCI PDQ). NCI says there is no standard or routine screening test for head and neck cancers (NCI fact sheet).

Lowering the risk

NCI says people at risk of head and neck cancers, especially those who use tobacco, should talk with their doctor about ways to stop using tobacco (NCI fact sheet). Our quit smoking help check covers the help available, and the AUDIT-C alcohol check shows where your drinking falls. Tobacco and alcohol are also the main risk factors in our esophageal cancer risk factors guide.

Common questions

Is laryngeal cancer the same as throat cancer?

It is one kind. MedlinePlus uses throat cancer for cancers of several parts of the throat, and the larynx, or voice box, is one of them (MedlinePlus).

Does smokeless tobacco count?

Yes. For head and neck cancers, NCI lists smokeless tobacco and secondhand smoke as tobacco use, alongside smoking (NCI fact sheet).

Does a hoarse voice mean I have laryngeal cancer?

No. A change or hoarseness in the voice is one of the signs NCI lists, but other conditions can cause it. NCI says to check with your doctor if it does not go away (NCI PDQ).