Cancer Health Center

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Certain factors affect prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options.

Prognosis (chance of recovery) depends on the following:

• The stage of the disease.
• The location and size of the tumor.
• The grade of the tumor.
• The patient's age, gender, and general health, including whether the patient is anemic.

Treatment options depend on the following:

• The stage of the disease.
• The location and size of the tumor.
• Keeping the patient's ability to talk, eat, and breathe as normal as possible.
• Whether the cancer has come back (recurred).

Smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol decrease the effectiveness of treatment for laryngeal cancer. Patients with laryngeal cancer who continue to smoke and drink are less likely to be cured and more likely to develop a second tumor. After treatment for laryngeal cancer, frequent and careful follow-up is important.