The Facts
The larynx, also called the voice box or Adam's apple, is
the part of the body that allows humans to produce sounds and speech. The
larynx contains the vocal cords (glottis), which vibrate when air passes
through. The epiglottis is a small flap of cartilage found at the top
of the larynx. The epiglottis protects the airways by keeping food and saliva
from going down the trachea (the "windpipe" tube that leads
to the lungs).
Cancer of the larynx can occur on the glottis (most laryngeal cancers are there),
the supraglottis (the area above the vocal cords, which includes the
epiglottis), or the subglottis (the area that connects the larynx to
the trachea).
Cancer of the larynx affects more men then women, although more women are developing it today due to an increase in smoking in the female population.