What are the chances of cure and life expectancy for vocal cord cancer?
The 5-year survival rate of patients with vocal cord cancer is 90% when the disease was not very advanced. This is usually the case because the early symptoms, such as hoarseness, usually mean that the tumor is detected very early. The mortality rate during the disease is very low.
Only about 1-1.5% of cancer deaths are attributable to the superordinate group of laryngeal tumors. However, it must be mentioned that most vocal cord carcinomas are caused by smoking, which is associated with many other serious diseases of the cardiovascular system and also other tumor diseases. Thus, the smoking cessation represents the most important basis for a prolongation of life.
Metastasis in vocal cord cancer
The vocal cord carcinoma usually metastasizes locally in the area of the larynx on both sides. Therefore, not only the vocal folds but also the areas above and below them can be affected. This tumor rarely metastasizes to other areas and organs, since it is usually detected early, before metastases have formed. If metastases do occur, they are mainly found in the lungs and liver.
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