What to Know About Radiation Therapy for Laryngeal Cancer

Radiation kills cancer cells even though you can't see or feel it.

Radiation kills cancer cells by focusing X-rays at the tumor.

Who May Need Radiation Therapy

Your doctor may use radiation for any of these reasons

• To shrink a large tumor before surgery

• To kill cancer cells that are left in the area after surgery

• For tumors that cannot be removed with surgery

• If you cannot have surgery for other reasons

• For a tumor that grows back after surgery

Because radiation to the head and neck region can cause problems with healing after dental work, your doctor may suggest you have a complete dental exam before starting radiation. If you have dental problems, the doctor will want you to have it done as early as possible before radiation starts.

How You May Get Radiation

There are 2 ways to get radiation.

• External radiation comes from a machine. It is the type most often used to treat laryngeal cancer.

• Internal radiation is when a radioactive material is placed inside you. It’s put directly into or near the tumor. It’s also called brachytherapy. Brachy means “near” and refers to how close the radiation is to your tumor. It is not used very often for laryngeal cancer.

You may get only one of these types of radiation or both of them.

What Happens During External Radiation

You can receive external beam radiation treatment (EBRT) as an outpatient. That means you may have it at a hospital or a clinic, but you don’t have to stay the night. Usually you have radiation treatments 5 days a week for several weeks. The tumor often gets an extra boost of radiation at the end of that time.