Bhubaneswar: The Phulnakhara campus of Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital here conducted a free laryngeal checkup of those with voice disorder to mark World Voice Day on Tuesday.
The checkup, using laryngeal endoscopy, helped diagnose early cancer of the vocal cord in a few cases, informed Prof. (Dr) Khageswar Rout, Head of Department of ENT.
The purpose of observing World Voice Day was to spread the message that sudden change in voice could be the sign of underlying laryngeal malignancy, especially in persons who have the habit of smoking, chewing tobacco or consumption of alcohol, Prof. Rout said.
“People in old age are vulnerable to developing cancer larynx and professionals like teachers, singers, lawyers and vendors are in high-risk category because of overuse of their vocal cord,” he informed.
“However, early detection of voice-related disorders lead to effective treatment,” Prof. Rout said. With advanced modalities of diagnosis and treatment that are currently available, laryngeal cancer could be treated effectively, he assured.
Others associated with the programme were Dr Smruti Ranjan, Dr Bibekananda Acharya, Dr Subhra Pradhan, Dr Aurodeep Luthar and Dr Paresh Giri.
