DefinitionBy Mayo Clinic staff Throat cancer refers to cancerous
tumors that develop in your throat (pharynx), voice box (larynx)
or tonsils. Your throat is a 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. Tonsil cancer, another form of throat cancer,
affects the tonsils, which are located on the back of the
throat. You can reduce your risk of throat cancer by not
smoking, not chewing tobacco and limiting alcohol use. - Abeloff
MD, et al. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia,
Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.
com/das/book/body/208746819-4/0/1709/0.html. Accessed Aug. 9,
2012. - Flint PW, et al. Cummings Otolaryngology: Head & Neck
Surgery. 5th ed. Philadelphi