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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffThroat cancer refers to cancerous tumors that develop in your throat (pharynx) or voice box (larynx).
Your throat is a 5-inch-long muscular tube that begins behind your nose and ends in your neck. Your voice box sits just below your throat and is also susceptible to throat cancer. The voice box is made of cartilage and contains the vocal cords that vibrate to make sound when you talk. Throat cancer can also affect the piece of cartilage (epiglottis) that acts as a lid for your windpipe.
The American Cancer Society estimates that about 24,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with throat cancer each year. About half of those throat cancers occur in the pharynx, with the rest occurring in the larynx.
