The goal of the treatment is to completely remove or destroy throat cancer and prevent it from spreading to other parts of the body. These may include:
Radiation therapy. This uses high-energy radiation beams to kill throat cancer cells. The radiation targets only the tumour to minimise damage to the surrounding healthy tissue.
Chemotherapy. Medications are used to kill or slow the growth of cancer cells. Patients often get chemotherapy intravenously (through a vein).
Immunotherapy/biologic therapy. This uses the body's immune system and natural defences to help fight cancer.
Surgery. This can remove the tumour while preserving the larynx (and the ability to speak and swallow). For advanced laryngeal cancer, surgeons often need to do a laryngectomy to remove the entire larynx.
For early stage cancer, radiation or surgery is used as a single modality.
For advanced stage cancer, where the tumour has invaded the cartilage or spread to lymph nodes in the neck, combined modality therapy may be necessary. This may take the form of surgery followed by radiation, chemotherapy with radiation or all 3 modalities.
Depending on your treatment plan, supportive treatments may also include:
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