STAGE 4 LARYNGEAL CANCER

Laryngeal cancer is one of the most common head and neck tumours. It develops most often in men under 60 years old. Effective pathology treatment and excellent five-year survival rates are possible with us The Zdenko Kos Foundation even at the advanced stages of pathology. To achieve this, the hospitals we are using in the UK, Germany, Switzerland and Italy for such treatments widely use modern methods, which are rarely practiced in other countries.

Patients can choose between Standard Treatment or Innovative Treatment.

Standard treatment of stage 4 laryngeal cancer

Stage 4 laryngeal cancer is diagnosed in cases when metastases up to 6 cm are detected in the cervical lymph nodes (stage 4A), the tumour has invaded the mediastinal organs, covers the carotid artery, or affects the spinal meninges (stage 4B), as well as when metastases in distant organs are also detected (stage 4C).

It is a rule, that standard treatment involves the use

• Radical surgery
• Chemotherapy and
• Radiotherapy.

Make no mistake, the standard protocols used in many countries have significant disadvantages:

• The classical chemotherapy regimen for laryngeal cancer affects pathological cells and healthy tissues of the body. It results in severe complications and the decreased function of the immune system.
• Radiation therapy causes side effects on the part of normal tissues and organs. They develop during radiation therapy and remain for a long time upon its completion.
• Radical surgery for stage 4 cancer involves the removal of the larynx, thyroid gland, lymph nodes, and other organs. After that, the quality of life of patients considerably worsens.

All these methods cannot fully prevent cancer recurrence and require long-term treatment and rehabilitation.

Hospital used by The Zdenko Kos Foundation practise the improved modifications of these methods, which are carried out using state-of-the-art equipment. It helps to reduce risks and prevent the development of complications.

Innovative treatment of stage 4 laryngeal cancer

When treating advanced stages of laryngeal cancer, our team of oncologists use those methods, which can reduce the size of the tumour, and metastases, as well as prolong the life of patients. The treatment regimen usually includes the simultaneous use of several methods to achieve the best results. The most common methods include embolization, modern options for systemic anticancer, and radiation therapy, sparing surgical interventions.

Embolization of metastases

Embolization is a minimally invasive procedure that selectively closes the lumen of the vessels supplying the tumour with blood. It is performed through a small skin incision: the doctor inserts a catheter into the vascular bed and reaches the vessels of the larynx under X-ray guidance. The next step is the injection of emboli – chemicals that block the arteries and disrupt the blood supply to the neoplasm.

Modern hospitals rarely use embolization in its classical form. They mainly use trans-arterial chemoembolization – blockage of arteries with microspheres saturated with chemotherapy drugs. The last ones penetrate the tumour and destroy it. The procedure allows doctors to get a response in up to 80% of patients. In 70% of patients, the tumour decreases in size, while 10% of cases show a complete response – the disappearance of the tumour.

Chemoembolization in cancer treatment affects the tumour in the following way:

Blood circulation in the tumour is impaired – malignant cells quickly die due to the lack of blood supply, as they need a large amount of arterial blood and its nutrients for rapid growth and division. The tumour is additionally inhibited by chemotherapeutic agents – they are gradually released from the emboli and destroy cancer cells within a few weeks.

It has minimal systemic side effects – such treatment is better tolerated than systemic chemotherapy and demonstrates excellent results.

It provides a high concentration of drugs – such a concentration would not be possible with systemic chemotherapy due to unacceptable toxicity.

Embolization and chemoembolization in laryngeal cancer are used not only as an independent method of local tumour control but also as a preparation for surgery. The technique helps reduce the extent of the surgical procedure, for example, removing only a part of the larynx instead of laryngectomy (radical removal of the larynx).

In addition, embolization is used for the palliative treatment of advanced laryngeal cancer. It is used to stop bleeding from the external carotid artery. The procedure is effective in more than 95% of patients and avoids surgical ligation of haemorrhagic vessels. In such cases, doctors use special spirals.

Radiotherapy for stage 4 laryngeal cancer

Radiation therapy is usually included in combination therapy for stage 4 laryngeal cancer. The hospital we are using for such treatment uses modern types of irradiations, which allow affecting only tumour cells with an accuracy of a nanometre, without affecting healthy tissues in the process and minimizing damage to the organs in the neck during irradiation.

The most popular methods of radiotherapy in the hospitals we are using are:

• Stereotactic radiation therapy (3D-CRT and IMRT)

is a high-precision radiation technique that destroys tumours and metastases within just a few sessions. For this purpose, doctors use state-of-the-art equipment, which makes it possible to accurately determine the coordinates of the tumour and control the intensity and direction of irradiation. The procedure is sparing and does not cause any significant side effects.

• Proton therapy

Is an advanced method of radiation therapy, which uses proton beams instead of X-rays. The physical properties of the last ones make it possible to effectively impact cancer cells with minimal stress on the body and minimal side effects.

• Brachytherapy

involves placing a radiation source close to cells affected by cancer. It helps specialists to use higher doses of radiation.

• Radiotherapy

is usually appointed before surgery to reduce the size of the tumour, and after surgery irradiate the residual tumour if it has not been removed completely, as well as to reduce the risk of recurrence.

Radiotherapy can be conducted instead of surgery for an inoperable tumour or concomitant pathologies that make surgery dangerous. In severe cases, the patient requires radiation therapy to reduce dysphagia (swallowing disorders) and pain, as well as prevent bleeding and laryngeal stenosis.

Laryngeal cancer Standard and Improved Therapy Price List:

• Diagnostic test for laryngeal cancer £6,000
• Treatment of laryngeal cancer with laser resection £12,800
• Extensive resection and tracheostoma placement £14,200
• Full extensive treatment of laryngeal cancer £18,800

The balance and insurance paid and covered by the Zdenko Kos Foundation.