Surgery is a common treatment of cancer of the hypopharynx.
A doctor may remove the larynx and part of the throat in an operation called a laryngopharyngectomy. If smoking is stopped before radiation therapy is started, a patient has a better chance of surviving longer. External radiation to the thyroid or the pituitary gland may change the way the thyroid gland works. The doctor may wish to test the thyroid gland before and after therapy to make sure it is working properly. Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells.