Congressman Putney with Vocal Cord Cancer

Media has reported that Congressman Lacey Putney, chairman of the powerful Appropriations Committee in the House of Delegates, has early stage vocal cord cancer.

He is currently undergoing radiation therapy which has a high chance of cure with relatively minimal side effects along with voice preservation.

My suspicion is that he is suffering from squamous cell carcinoma which is the most common type of vocal cord cancer. Though radiation therapy is a common form of treatment for this type of early stage cancer, surgical excision without the need for radiation is also possible. No chemotherapy is necessary for early stage vocal cord cancer.

Below is a picture of an early stage right vocal cord squamous cell carcinoma.

Compare to normal:

Source:
Putney undergoing treatment for throat cancer. WSLS10 8/15/12