Surgery - Removal

• A total laryngectomy is the removal of the voice box. With smaller cancers, perhaps only a portion of the voice box will be removed. Surgery is normally followed by radiotherapy.
  
  

Surgery - Reconstruction

• If the normal function of breathing or swallowing is compromised due to surgery, a tracheostomy or gastrostomy may be necessary. Tracheostomy is commonly seen as a hole in the neck, and gastrostomy is a hole in the stomach.
  
  

Radiotherapy

• This type of treatment is most commonly used in smaller cancers. The cure rate for radiotherapy is high, and the preservation of vocal function is likely. One drawback is that it can be used only once. Treatment lasts for six weeks.
  
  

Chemotherapy

• Chemotherapy is sometimes used following radiotherapy to enhance its effects or because the cancer has spread too far for other methods to be effective. This type of treatment can help preserve the larynx.
  
  

Laser Treatment

• Surgeons prefer this type of treatment when the cancer is in its early form. The cure rate for laser treatment of early cancers is high. According to the website of the Voice Center at New York University's School of Medicine, laser treatment is approximately one-tenth the cost of radiotherapy, has fewer side effects and normally requires one outpatient visit.