There are many options to treat throat, tonsil, and laryngeal (voicebox) cancers. You may feel overwhelmed as you explore them.
This guide will help you better understand your options and get ready to talk with your doctors. You’ll have the information you need to make the best decisions for your care together.
Your care team includes doctors, nurses, and other experts in throat cancer. MSK’s throat cancer experts will make a treatment plan just for you.
Your personal throat cancer treatment plan will target the type and stage of throat cancer you have. It will be based on the latest research and therapies. During your treatment, you may have more than one therapy for the best possible results.
Your MSK care team will talk with you about the best therapies for you. You may have one treatment, or a few treatments together.
Treatment for throat, tonsil, and laryngeal cancer can include:
Many people with throat cancer have surgery to remove the tumor. The type of surgery depends on the type of throat cancer and its location, size, and stage.
Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays to kill cancer cells. We use radiation therapy to treat people for many types of throat cancer.
Chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and immunotherapy are called systemic therapies. Treatments are given by mouth, intravenous (IV) infusion, or injection (shot). They spread throughout the body to treat cancer.
Talk with an MSK Care Advisor. We're here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
We care for every person with kindness, warmth, and respect.
Your care team includes doctors, nurses, and other experts who focus on throat, tonsil, and laryngeal cancers. They work together using the latest science and research to create your care plan. It will focus on what matters most to you and the treatment that’s best for your type of cancer.
To better understand what is causing the tumor to grow, we may do genetic testing. This genetic information lets us target your treatment to the type of throat cancer you have.
At MSK, we take care of the person, not just the cancer. We offer support and resources to help you and your caregivers, during and after treatment.
Your care plan may include nutrition advice, physical therapy, exercise, and mental health support. Our rehabilitation experts help you manage the side effects of throat cancer and its treatments.
Head and neck surgeon Dr. Thomas J. Ow is an expert in removing tumors during complex surgeries.
Many people prefer to get cancer treatment closer to home. MSK provides excellent cancer care on Long Island and in locations in Westchester County, New Jersey, and New York City. You can meet with your surgeon and have chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and genetic testing.
At MSK, all members of your care team will review your case. They’ll talk with you about which treatments are best for you.
Your care team may offer you a few throat, tonsil, or laryngeal cancer treatment options. They’re based on your symptoms, any other health issues, and the cancer’s:
Treatment also depends on where the cancer started in the throat:
We assess all these things and then find the best treatment choice for you. For many people with throat or tonsil cancer, surgery is the best option. Your surgeon will talk with you about your options and help you to get ready. They’ll explain what kind of surgery may be best for you.
Head and neck surgeon Dr. Marc Cohen (center) is an expert in removing skull base tumors.
Surgery is a common treatment for most people with throat cancer, including:
There are a few types of surgery to treat throat cancer.
Many surgeries for throat cancer at MSK use methods that are less invasive. This is called minimally invasive surgery because it does less harm to nearby healthy tissue.
This method uses small incisions (cut) and special instruments. Minimally invasive surgery for throat cancer done at MSK can help speed recovery, with fewer complications (problems).
Your surgeon will talk with you about your options and help you to get ready.
These are common surgeries to treat throat cancer:
MSK's free, online Patient and Community Education Library has more than 1,200 written and video resources about cancer care. MSK experts explain topics such as treatments, procedures, side effects, screening, and prevention. Our information is in English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, and other languages.
MSK’s throat cancer radiation therapy team is one of the largest and most experienced in the country.
Radiation therapy uses very precise high-energy beams to kill cancer cells. Radiation oncologists are cancer doctors with special training in using radiation to treat cancer.
MSK’s radiation experts do everything possible to limit healthy tissue’s exposure to radiation. They use the most precise methods to deliver powerful doses of radiation right to the throat tumor.
Sometimes we can use methods that lower the number of treatments you’ll need. Our methods give us a better chance of controlling and curing the cancer. They can also reduce side effects and help you recover faster.
Radiation therapy aims to control or kill off cancer cells with as few side effects as possible.
Your doctor may recommend chemotherapy as part of your radiation therapy. When you have chemotherapy and radiation at the same time, it’s called chemoradiation. It may help the tumor respond better to treatment.
We use radiation therapy:
Systemic therapies are drugs that travel through the body to kill cancer cells. These therapies for throat, tonsil, and laryngeal cancers include chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy.
You may have neoadjuvant (NEE-oh-A-joo-vant) therapy. This is treatment you get before throat cancer surgery. Neoadjuvant therapy shrinks tumors so they’re easier to remove during surgery.
You may have adjuvant (A-joo-vunt) therapy, which is treatment you get after throat cancer surgery. It’s used to kill any cancer cells that may be left in your throat or the rest of your body. Adjuvant therapy can lower the risk of throat cancer coming back or spreading.
Here are some systemic therapies for throat cancer:
Chemo or immunotherapy before surgery can shrink tumors and make them easier to remove with surgery.
Thomas Ow:
The most exciting developments in the field really revolve around using chemotherapies and
immunotherapies pre-operatively to shrink tumors, make things smaller, so that when we do
surgery, the surgeries are much less complex. And we're finding that in many cases for many
different kinds of cancer, that often results in better survival outcomes as well.
At MSK, every specialty is at the forefront and when we work together to make a treatment
plan for each patient, they can be assured that they're getting the most advanced care from the
entire team.
Chemotherapy (chemo) is a treatment that uses medicine to stop or slow cancer cells from growing. Chemo puts medicines that target cancer cells into your vein. Most chemo medicines for throat, tonsil, or laryngeal cancers can go through a standard intravenous (IV) drip. The medicine travel in your bloodstream to kill cancer cells in the body.
There are a few kinds of chemo medicines for throat cancer. Your care team will talk with you about the best options.
Targeted therapies are cancer treatments that target a tumor’s gene changes (mutations or variants). It’s a personal treatment plan just for the type of cancer you have. These medicines often are given by mouth in pill form, or through an IV into your vein.
Laryngeal (larynx) cancer can be treated with the targeted therapy drug cetuximab. For more advanced laryngeal cancer, we may use this drug along with radiation therapy if chemotherapy is not an option.
Immunotherapy is a form of cancer treatment that boosts your immune system’s natural ability to fight cancer. Your immune system will then attack cancer cells, in much the same way it attacks bacteria or viruses.
Most other cancer treatments use drugs or radiation to target cancer cells directly.
This medicine is most often given through an IV into your vein.
We’ll test to see if there is a protein called PD-L1 on the throat cancer cells. This test can help tell us if immunotherapy drugs may be the right treatment for you.
A tumor genetic profiling test also is called genomic testing, molecular profiling, or next-generation sequencing. The test uses a sample taken from a tumor. We also consider sending blood samples as well, to learn more about the tumor’s genes.
At MSK, genetic testing of the tumor is a routine part of how we diagnose and treat throat cancer. We’re one of only a few cancer centers in the world to profile throat cancer tumors as part of standard care.
Genomic testing tells us which genetic changes (mutations or variants) caused the throat cancer and made the cancer grow. The test results let us target those genes for treatment, a method called targeted therapy.
If we know which mutations you have, we know which treatments will work best on the tumor.
For example, throat cancers have more of a protein called epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Targeted therapy stops EGFR from helping cancer cells grow.
Other gene mutations that can cause throat cancers are:
When you learn you have throat, tonsil, or laryngeal cancer, you’ll probably have many questions for your cancer doctor at your first visit. Talking about treatment options with your doctors can help you feel confident when making decisions about your care.
The health of your body and mind matter to us after treatment, too. MSK's follow-up care and support programs help you and your loved ones cope with cancer.
Your care team may talk with you about joining a throat cancer clinical trial.
Anyone can join a clinical trial from the very start of treatment, if there’s one that’s right for you.
Researchers follow strict rules to make sure all clinical trials are safe. The MSK research team will answer your questions and help you get ready for the trial. We follow your progress and keep you safe every step of the way.
MSK strongly encourages people from all races, genders, ages, and backgrounds to join clinical trials. It’s very important for research studies to include people from many backgrounds. It’s how our researchers can learn if a new treatment works for everyone, not just one group of people.
Clinical trials are research studies to test new treatments, procedures, or devices to see how well they work. Every cancer treatment given to a person was first tested in a clinical trial.
Clinical trials can help us learn about new throat cancer drugs, such as:
If you join a clinical trial, you may be able to try new drugs to treat your type of throat cancer. Our patients may get a new treatment at MSK years before it’s offered at other places.
Here are some ways enrolling in a clinical trial can help you get the best treatment:
sometimes years before they’re available to everyone.
from your expert care team.
for treatments you get during a clinical trial.
At MSK, your care is always a team effort. Our care teams combine the skill and experience of many kinds of throat cancer experts. They work together to give you the best cancer treatment.
Head and neck surgeon Dr. Jennifer Cracchiolo (center) with Allyson Gillespie, Manager, APP, and nurse Angela Maffucci.
MSK has Magnet® designation for our nurses’ excellent patient care, strong leadership, and a culture that values constant improvement. Only about 1 out of every 10 hospitals in the country have Magnet status. It’s one of the highest honors a hospital can earn for nursing excellence.
Your care team has special training in how to diagnose and treat throat cancer. Their goal is to support you during and after treatment for throat cancer.
We take care of the person, not just the cancer. Our social workers are here to help you and your family with the emotional, social, and physical effects of cancer.
Your care team will include doctors, nurses, and healthcare providers who are experts in throat cancer. They include:
Your team meets with a panel of experts who review and talk about your diagnosis. They discuss new ideas and the latest research. This expert panel then works together to choose your treatment plan.
A head and neck surgeon is a doctor with special training in surgery on the head and neck. This includes the tonsils, tongue, mouth, lips, larynx, nose, sinuses, salivary glands, and thyroid gland.
A radiation oncologist is a cancer doctor with special training in using radiation therapy (RT) to treat cancer.
A head and neck medical oncologist is a cancer doctor who specializes in head and neck cancers. This includes cancers of the tonsils, tongue, mouth, lips, larynx, nose, sinuses, salivary glands, and thyroid gland.
A dental oncologist is a general dentist with special training in managing oral problems from cancer, treating cancer, or both.
A maxillofacial (max-ill-o-FAY-shul) prosthodontist (pros-thoh-DON-tist) has special training in treating problems of the face, jaw, and nearby soft tissue. They’re trained in making a prothesis (pros-THEE-sis), an artificial (man-made) piece that replaces a body part. It’s also called a prosthetic.
An oral and maxillofacial (max-ill-o-FAY-shul) surgeon is a doctor with special training in treating many problems and injuries that affect the head, neck, mouth, jaw, and face.
An endocrinologist (EN-doh-krih-NAH-loh-jist) is a doctor with special training in endocrine problems. These disorders affect glands and organs that make hormones, and include diabetes, infertility, and thyroid, adrenal, and pituitary gland problems.
A neurosurgeon is a doctor with special training in surgery on the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord or spine, and nerves).
A plastic and reconstructive surgeon is a doctor with special training in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. These procedures restore function and appearance.
A radiologist is a doctor with special training in using imaging to diagnose and treat disease. Imaging includes X-rays, sonography, ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
A pathologist is a doctor who uses a microscope to make a diagnosis from cell and tissue samples. They analyze the samples to learn more about a health issue, such as cancer.
A social worker is a healthcare provider with special training in helping people cope with problems in their lives. They support your emotional health by providing counseling and practical help.
Talk with an MSK Care Advisor. We're here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Clinical social worker Estina Cain supports people during cancer care at MSK.
Cancer treatment affects your body and emotions. The experience is not the same for everyone. We will support you during your treatment.
But you’re also a person with a life beyond cancer. We want to help you get back to it. That’s why we have many programs and services to support you and your loved ones.
You can connect with other people going through cancer treatment in our virtual support groups, led by a social worker.
Or you may need help with side effects of treatment. We have experts with special training in treating pain. Our dental and rehabilitation experts also can keep your throat working as it should, for eating, swallowing, and speaking.
Your caregivers are a very important part of your care team. They need support, too. We have a Caregivers Clinic to help your loved ones cope with cancer.
Throat cancer treatment can affect how you talk, eat, and drink. Our speech therapists help manage side effects, including changes in:
Your speech therapist works with physical and occupational therapists to help care for common problems after treatment. They may recommend exercises to improve your range of motion and muscle strength.
Our Integrative Medicine and Wellness Service offers complementary, natural, and holistic, treatments. They include acupuncture, meditation, massage therapy, yoga, and exercise.
You may want support to cope with side effects of treatment. These may include pain, fatigue (feeling very tired), nerve problems, nausea, insomnia, and stress.
Without using prescription drugs, integrative therapies can help improve and control side effects of cancer treatment.
MSK integrative medicine services are available in New York City, New Jersey, Westchester, and on Long Island.
Pain management is an important part of cancer care. MSK was the first cancer center in the country to have a service just for treating pain in people with cancer.
Our pain experts will help relieve or manage pain after surgery. They can help while you’re still in the hospital, and after you’re home.
We have experts who manage the symptoms and side effects of cancer treatment, such as nausea during chemotherapy.
We offer counseling and support to help you manage anxiety, depression, anger, or loneliness. There are individual and group counseling sessions, both in person and through telemedicine visits. Counseling is open to you and your family, separately or together.
We also run support groups and programs if you want to talk with other people going through a similar experience. Our social workers can offer information about how to talk about your diagnosis with family members, work colleagues, and friends.
Cancer treatment can affect your digestion (how your body breaks down the food you eat). It can change your taste, how you eat, and how hungry you are.
Our clinical dietitian nutritionists can answer your questions about what you can and should eat. They can help with:
It’s never too late to quit smoking and using tobacco. Using tobacco products is a main cause of head and neck cancer.
Our Tobacco Treatment Program has experts who can help you quit smoking. It’s open to people who never had cancer or a disease linked to tobacco.
It also welcomes anyone who has cancer, and cancer survivors. Our program offers treatment options to help you quit, such as counseling and medicine.
MSK is a place where people of all genders and sexual orientations feel welcome and treated with respect. Our LGBTQI+ Cancer Care Program gives you the support you need during cancer care. It’s for LGBTQI+ people getting screened or treated at MSK, or in our survivorship program.
We believe cancer care needs to be as convenient as possible. We have throat, tonsil, and laryngeal cancer treatment locations in New York City, Westchester, on Long Island, and in New Jersey.
At our locations, you can meet with your care team and get your throat cancer treatment. You may be able to have chemotherapy or radiation therapy or join a clinical trial.
MSK brings its expert care closer to you so you can get back home to what matters most.
We’ll guide you about where you can go for check-ups, procedures, or treatments, based on your diagnosis and treatments.
