Assoc. Prof. from the Department of Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases, Memorial Ankara Hospital. Dr. Mehmet Burak Aşık shared information about early stage laryngeal cancer surgical treatment (Cordectomy).
Today, the reflection of new developments in the technological field is also observed in the medical field. These successful developments provide significant benefits in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Assoc. Prof. from the Department of Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases, Memorial Ankara Hospital. Dr. Mehmet Burak Aşık gave information about early stage laryngeal cancer surgical treatment (Cordectomy).
With this technology, non-cancerous parts of the larynx are not affected.
Assoc. Prof. stated that laryngeal cancer affects the parts of the larynx or vocal cords used for breathing, speaking and swallowing. Dr. Mehmet Burak Aşık “Cordectomy is defined as a surgical procedure that removes part or all of the vocal cords due to the occurrence of early stage laryngeal cancer. Thanks to this surgery, in early stage laryngeal cancers, only the cancerous area can be removed, leaving the non-cancerous parts of the larynx unaffected and remaining in the patient. Except for very rare cases, it offers the chance to get rid of throat cancer without opening an air hole in the neck.” said.
Voice and swallowing functions are preserved
Assoc. Dr. Mehmet Burak Aşık pointed out that cancer can start anywhere in the larynx and said, “If laryngeal cancer, which is a common type of head and neck cancer, is detected early enough, the possibility of cure increases by simply removing the cancerous area completely. One of the main goals of treatment is to help preserve the voice-swallowing functions of the larynx, especially when the cancer is in its early stages. At this point, surgery or radiotherapy alone may be enough to treat the cancer. However, for larger tumors, surgery to remove the entire larynx may require various treatments, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy.” he said.
Aşık listed the three parts of the vocal cords that vibrate in the larynx and enable speech as follows:
- Glottis, the middle part containing the vocal cords
- Supraglottis, above the vocal cords
- Subglottis below the vocal cords that connect the larynx to the windpipe
Assoc. Dr. Mehmet Burak Aşık stated that there will be hoarseness for about 1 year after cordectomy.
