Once cancer of the larynx is found, more tests will be done to find out if cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body. This is called staging. A doctor needs to know the stage of the disease to plan treatment. In cancer of the larynx, the definitions of the early stages depend on where the cancer started.
STAGE I (1)..
The cancer is only in the area where it started and has not spread to lymph nodes in the area or to other parts of the body. The exact definition of stage I depends on where the cancer started, as follows:
Supraglottis: The cancer is only in one area of the supraglottis and the vocal cords can move normally.
Glottis: The cancer is only in the vocal cords and the vocal cords can move normally.
Subglottis: The cancer has not spread outside of the subglottis.
STAGE II (2)..
The cancer is only in the larynx and has not spread to lymph nodes in the area or to other parts of the body. The exact definition of stage II depends on where the cancer started, as follows:
Supraglottis: The cancer is in more than one area of the supraglottis, but the vocal cords can move normally.
Glottis: The cancer has spread to the supraglottis or the subglottis or both. The vocal cords may or may not be able to move normally.
Subglottis: The cancer has spread to the vocal cords, which may or may not be able to move normally.
STAGE III (3)..
Either of the following may be true:
The cancer has not spread outside of the larynx, but the vocal cords cannot move normally, or the cancer has spread to tissues next to the larynx.
The cancer has spread to one lymph node on the same side of the neck as the cancer, and the lymph node measures no more than 3 centimeters (just over 1 inch).
STAGE IV (4)..
Any of the following may be true:
The cancer has spread to tissues around the larynx, such as the pharynx or the tissues in the neck. The lymph nodes in the area may or may not contain cancer.
The cancer has spread to more than one lymph node on the same side of the neck as the cancer, to lymph nodes on one or both sides of the neck, or to any lymph node that measures more than 6 centimeters (over 2 inches).
The cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
RECURRENT
Recurrent disease means that the cancer has come back (recurred) after it has been treated. It may come back in the larynx or in another part of the body.
Respiratory System, in anatomy and physiology, organs that deliver oxygen to the circulatory system for transport to all body cells. Oxygen is essential for cells, which use this vital substance to liberate the energy needed for cellular activities.
