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Most cases occur between the ages of 50 and 70. Air passes through the pharynx and then the larynx on the way to the windpipe (trachea) and into the lungs. The larynx has a small piece of tissue over it, called the epiglottis, to keep food from going into it or into the air passages. The larynx contains the vocal cords, which vibrate and make sound when air is directed against them. There are three main parts of the larynx: the glottis (the middle part of the larynx where the vocal cords are located); the supraglottis (the tissue above the glottis); and the subglottis (the tissue below the glottis).
The subglottis connects to the trachea, which takes air to the lungs. Cancer of the larynx is a disease in which cancerous (malignant) cells are found in the tissues of the larynx. It is most commonly found in people who smoke. In these cases, voice may be preserved although its quality may not be normal. During this operation, a new route for breathing is surgically created.
The larynx-end of the windpipe (trachea) is connected to a hole (stoma) that is made in the neck. Rather than using the mouth and the nose, the person with the laryngectomy will breathe through this stoma.
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