You Asked, We Answered: Speaking Out on Vocal Cord Cancer

May 1, 2008— -- You submitted your questions to Dr. Steven Zeitels who has saved the voices of Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, Julie Andrews and Cher. Below are his answers.

Dr. Zeitels is the Eugene B. Casey Professor of Laryngeal Surgery at Harvard Medical School and the director of the Center for Laryngeal Surgery and Voice Rehabilitation at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Zeitels serves as laryngologist to various voice departments in Boston, as well as to the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University, the Boston Lyric Opera and the Boston University Huntington Theater.

Do you need help or advice on vocal cord cancer? Contact the Massachusetts General Hospital Voice Center.

Esther from Lakewood Ranch, Fla., asked: "Could your treatment method -- blocking the blood from getting to the tumor -- work for other kinds of cancer?"

Dr. Zeitels answered: Since a substantial number of cancers create abnormal and increased blood vessels (angiogenesis), there will likely be other cancers for which this, the angiolytic KTP laser, will be useful.

Joe from Sterling, Neb., asked: "Dr. Zeitels, What is the most common and not-so-common symtoms of the cancer of the vocal cords?"

Dr. Zeitels answered: Hoarseness/voice change is the first and most common symptom. If an individual has a rough or harsh voice quality, then he or she should have a skilled laryngologist perform an examination. This is especially so if he or she has been a smoker at any time in their life. Frequently, people with vocal cord cancer have had people that know them or new aquaintances ask them if they are sick from a cold, confusing the long-term voice deterioration with an acute illness. In fact, most individuals with early vocal cord cancer have had a precancerous lesion (abnormality) for years prior to degenerating to invasive cancer. Larger vocal cord cancers can cause breathing problems, throat pain and/or difficulty swallowing.

Most vocal cord cancers can be controlled and cured, until they get large, which we call a T4 cancer. The great advantage of finding the cancer when it is smaller is the voice quality can typically be restored.