Laser Surgery

Minimally invasive laser surgery may be used to treat some throat cancers and is a lower risk procedure than conventional surgery
Laser surgery offers people a better quality of life afterward, including improved preservation of voice function and the ability to swallow
- a sore in the throat that doesn’t heal
- a white patch in the mouth
- or a lump that persists in the neck
- difficulty chewing, problems eating and drinking or moving the tongue often comes later
- cancer of the larynx usually causes a voice change like persistent hoarseness
- sometimes throat cancer causes a sore throat that doesn’t go away, pain with eating and drinking, pain in the ear or a lump in the neck

Many types of head and neck cancer can be treated using laser techniques including:
- Most types of cancer of the larynx
- Some hypopharynx (the swallowing passage just above the larynx) cancers
- Oropharynx (the tonsil area that connects the mouth to the hypophrarynx) cancers
- Cancer of the mouth, especially the sides of the tongue and floor of the mouth
The decision to use the new laser surgery depends on the stage of the cancer – minimally invasive laser surgery has long been used for small, localized (stage I) cancer
For some patients with advanced tumours laser excision may also be a treatment option – the laser is an excisional tool —it’s used to cut out (excise) cancer
People whose cancer hasn’t been treated with radiation therapy are usually the best candidates for laser excision
About 75% of people with new larynx cancers and 50% of those with new mouth or pharynx cancers may be eligible for laser surgery

The surgeon uses natural passageways, such as the mouth to reach the tumour – no incisions are used
Special fibreoptic videoscopes and microsurgical instruments allow the surgeon to guide the laser beam around the edges of the tumour with pinpoint accuracy
Magnification allows the surgeon to distinguish visually between cancerous and healthy tissue
The laser beam is then used as a cutting and sealing tool, to precisely remove the tumour with a safety margin

Cancers of the head and neck, including the larynx, pharynx and mouth, make up about 5% of all new cancer diagnoses
Risk factors include cigarette, cigar and pipe smoking
Use of smokeless tobacco and excessive use of alcohol also are significant risk factors
Because men tend to have these habits in greater numbers than women, they make up the majority of mouth and throat cancer patients
However, as more women become smokers, their share of these cancers is rising

Radiation therapy and chemotherapy are often used in combination with surgery to treat mouth and throat cancers
The multidisciplinary cancer team includes:
- ENT, Head and Neck Surgeons
- Plastic Surgeons
- Radiation Oncology Specialists
- Medical Oncology Specialists
- Nurses
- Dieticians
- Physiotherapists
- Speech Pathologists
- Occupational Therapists
- Social Workers

Where suitable laser surgery offers less early post-operative pain, less scarring and fewer wound problems including infection – this means a shorter hospital stay
Laser surgery avoids invasive, disfiguring surgery so often required in the past to treat cancer of the larynx or pharynx
The major improvement laser surgery offers is in quality of life
Problems such as trouble eating and tasting, progressive difficulty swallowing, loss of voice or speech, neck and shoulder disfigurement, and/or a permanent, surgically-constructed, external opening to the windpipe (stoma) usually can be avoided

Laser surgery