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Laryngeal cancer is no longer confined to older age groups, according to specialists in Türkiye, who report a growing number of cases among younger adults and women.
Doctors interviewed by Hurriyet daily say the disease often moves forward quietly because its early symptoms are easily mixed up with common throat infections, leading many patients to put off seeking medical care until later stages.
Ear, nose and throat specialists report that the classic patient profile for laryngeal cancer is changing. Associate Professor Arzu Karaman Koc said that over the past two to three years, diagnoses have not only continued among men over 50, but have also started to show up more often in younger patients and women. She described the rise as gradual rather than explosive, yet still clear enough to raise concern, noting that younger patients often present with multiple risk factors simultaneously.
Associate Professor Eda Tuna Yalcinozan echoed this assessment, saying that when recent years are reviewed, cases outside the traditional risk group appear more frequently. She pointed out that diagnoses among people under 40 and among women have become particularly striking. While improvements in diagnostic techniques may explain part of this increase, she said lifestyle-related factors are playing a significant role as well.
Both specialists underlined that smoking and alcohol remain the main risk factors for laryngeal cancer, but stressed that they no longer fully explain the trend now being observed.
Koc said the rise in smoking among women, the use of electronic cigarettes and waterpipes, air pollution, reflux disease and viral factors such as human papillomavirus (HPV) are all contributing to the broader risk profile. Yalcinozan also highlighted reflux and HPV as factors that are showing up more often in younger patients.
Addressing passive smoking, Yalcinozan explained that long-term exposure to cigarette smoke can lead to chronic irritation of the laryngeal mucosa, the tissue lining the voice box. Over time, this irritation may set off cellular changes that increase cancer risk.
She emphasized that indoor exposure to secondhand smoke poses a serious threat, particularly for women and children. Koc also confirmed that people who do not smoke but regularly inhale cigarette smoke face a higher risk of developing laryngeal cancer.
Specialists warn that one of the main dangers of laryngeal cancer is how easily its early signs can be mistaken for minor illnesses. Koc said the disease may begin with hoarseness, a burning sensation in the throat or a persistent tickling feeling, leading many patients to assume they are dealing with a lingering infection.
She stressed that hoarseness lasting longer than two to three weeks, without a clear infectious cause, should be followed up with further examination.
Yalcinozan said a feeling of something being stuck in the throat does not always indicate cancer, but if the sensation persists and gradually worsens, it should be investigated.
She added that shortness of breath and difficulty swallowing usually appear in more advanced stages, when the tumor begins to narrow the airway inside the larynx.
Delayed diagnosis can significantly affect both treatment options and quality of life, according to Koc. She explained that when laryngeal cancer is detected at an early stage, treatment may be possible while preserving the patient’s voice.
In later stages, however, treatment often requires combinations of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. While she noted that “100% recovery” is not a medically accurate expression, she emphasized that success rates are high when the disease is caught early.
Yalcinozan warned that treatment response may decrease in advanced stages and that the disease can become life-threatening. She pointed to airway obstruction, spread of the cancer and overall deterioration in health as factors that can lead to fatal outcomes.
For this reason, she stressed the importance of early diagnosis and regular ear, nose and throat check-ups.
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