CANCER OF THE HEAD AND NECK

III. CANCER OF THE LARYNX Anatomically the larynx extends from the tip of the epiglottis to the inferior margin of the cricoid cartilage, and the term cancer of the larynx, therefore, includes all malignant growths arising in the epiglottis, the aryepiglottic folds, the arytenoids, the ventricular bands, the ventricles, the vocal cords, the subglottic area and the postcricoid region. Laryngeal cancer may be divided anatomically into two general groups: (1) Growths arising on the vocal cords and ventricles and in the subglottic region are classified as cancer of the intrinsic larynx, and (2) growths arising on the upper surface of the ventricular bands, the epiglottis or its appendages or in the postcricoid region constitute cancer of the extrinsic larynx. ETIOLOGY Laryngeal cancer comprises about 2 per cent of all human malignant tumors. Like cancer of the mouth this disease occurs most often in middle and old age, and predominantly in