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Smoking tobacco is a significant risk factor for developing cancer of the larynx (voice box).
If the cancer is advanced or very bulky, a total laryngectomy (removal of the larynx) may be necessary.
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Removing the larynx means the mouth is no longer connected to the trachea, so it is impossible to send air from the lungs through the mouth to speak. So surgeons create a permanent stoma (opening) to breathe through. This stoma is called a laryngectomy stoma. You might also hear it called a tracheostomy.
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