Voice-restoring larynx transplant shows progress for rare cancer treatment

Editor's Note

A Massachusetts man, Marty Kedian, regained his voice after a pioneering larynx transplant at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, The Associated Press (AP) reported July 9.

According to the article, Kedian is only the third person in the U.S. to receive a total larynx transplant and the first due to cancer. This rare surgery aims to expand access to such life-changing procedures for more patients, including those with cancer.

Kedian, 59, underwent the 21-hour surgery as part of a clinical trial and now can speak and swallow again, AP reports. The transplant involved removing his cancerous larynx and replacing it with a donated one, along with adjoining tissues and connecting vital nerves.

Dr. David Lott of the Mayo Clinic started the study to provide hope and better quality of life for patients who lose their larynx, AP reports. Although it is a small study, involving 9 patients, early results published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings highlight the potential for such transplants to become more common with further research.

Diagnosed with a rare laryngeal cartilage cancer a decade ago, Kedian underwent over a dozen surgeries and used a tracheostomy tube to breathe and speak, reducing his voice to a raspy whisper, AP reports. His condition forced him into early retirement and significantly impacted his quality of life.

The American Cancer Society estimates more than 12,600 people will be diagnosed with some form of laryngeal cancer this year, AP reports.