Losing one’s voice box to laryngeal cancer is challenging because one needs to learn new ways of speaking and adapting to everyday life.
For Ang Boon Kok, 51, the support of fellow survivors through Malaysia Laryngectomee Association (MLA) played a crucial role in helping him navigate that difficult journey after undergoing a total laryngectomy in 2016.
“When my doctor told me my voice box had to be removed, I was terrified as I thought I would never be able to speak normally again.
“But after I was introduced to MLA and met other patients who had undergone the same surgery and were still able to communicate, I felt better,” he said at a World Head and Neck Cancer Day event in Kuala Lumpur.
Ang, formerly a paper processing plant supervisor, said the association gave him a clearer picture of life after surgery while providing practical guidance and emotional support for him and his family during recovery.
The Penangite was among survivors who shared their experiences during the event at Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HCTM UKM).
A laryngectomy is a surgical procedure to remove part or all of the voice box, usually because of cancer, severe injury or serious breathing problems.
Reflecting on his diagnosis, Ang said he first experienced persistent hoarseness before seeking treatment at an ear, nose and throat specialist clinic, Bernama reported.
When things failed to improve, he sought further assessment at HCTM UKM, where a biopsy confirmed a tumour in his voice box.
Ang, who is a non-smoker, initially underwent radiotherapy.
However, follow-up examinations six months later revealed that the cancer was still growing.
Following his operation, he had to relearn how to communicate using a voice prosthesis, a small one-way valve that directs air from the lungs to produce speech.
“In the beginning, it was difficult because I had to get used to speaking in a completely different way.
“Sometimes, people hearing my voice for the first time struggle to understand what I am saying.
“But now I have adapted. My health is good, I’m no longer in pain,” he said.
HCTM UKM consultant otorhinolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon Dr Lum Sai Guan said one of the earliest warning signs of laryngeal cancer was persistent hoarseness or a change in voice quality lasting more than three weeks.
He noted that smoking remained the leading risk factor for laryngeal cancer, alongside excessive alcohol consumption.
“If detected early, there is still a good chance of preserving the patient’s voice box through radiotherapy or laser surgery, without the need for a total laryngectomy,” he said.
