Third man in the US to regain his voice through larynx transplant

“What they have done for me is incredible,” said Kedian USA todayraved about his medical team. The Haverhill, Massachusetts, native, who was diagnosed with throat cancer nearly 10 years ago, lost his voice after multiple surgeries about 10 months ago. (Throat cancer is a rare type of cancer that develops in the larynx, or vocal tract.) RELATED: Val Kilmer, who survived throat cancer, finds a message for his new voice that has never been louder

Kedian has even regained his Boston accent after the procedure, which was performed four months ago by six surgeons at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona.

“Mayo Clinic announces a groundbreaking success in organ transplantation, bringing hope to thousands who can no longer speak, swallow and breathe independently due to limited function or loss of their larynx,” the respected research institute wrote in an Instagram post alongside photos of Kedian throughout the process.

“A multidisciplinary team of physicians in Arizona performed the third known total laryngeal transplant in the United States. The case also represents a medical milestone as it is the first known total laryngeal transplant performed as part of a clinical trial and the first in a patient with active cancer in the United States.”

Full details of the operation, officially called a total larynx transplant for malignant disease, were published Tuesday in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

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Kedian has exceeded his doctors’ prognosis and has so far regained 60 percent of his voice. He is overjoyed to have regained his quality of life and continues to make progress towards recovery.

“I was alive, but I wasn’t living,” Kedian said. “I would love to talk to people everywhere I go, but I just couldn’t. I felt strange and didn’t want to go anywhere.”

Understanding head and neck cancer

Laryngeal cancer, also known as throat cancer, falls under the general classification of head and neck cancer.

According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), head and neck cancer is “a broad term that encompasses a number of different malignant tumors that develop in or around the neck, larynx, nose, sinuses, and mouth. Oral cancer is the most common type of head and neck cancer.

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The two main risk factors for this group of diseases include:

• Tobacco use. This is the biggest risk factor for head and neck cancer. Researchers estimate that 70 to 80 percent of all head and neck cancers are due to tobacco use. It is also worth mentioning that secondhand smoke can increase a person’s risk of developing head and neck cancer.
• Alcohol consumption. Combined use of alcohol and tobacco increases your risk even further.

“In patients with head and neck cancer, we know that tobacco smoking, but also heavy alcohol consumption, is a risk,” Dr. Jessica Geiger, a medical oncologist specializing in head and neck cancer at the Cleveland Clinic, previously told SurvivorNet.

“So if you’re a man, you’re drinking more than two or three drinks a day in addition to smoking. Smoking and alcohol are additive carcinogens, so to speak. Especially with throat cancer, we know that heavy alcohol consumption is as important a risk factor as smoking tobacco.”

Learn more about laryngeal transplants

What makes Kedian’s case even more special is the fact that a total larynx transplant is not usually considered in cancer patients because of the immunosuppression that occurs after surgery, which can lead to the spread of cancer.

Because Kedian had received a kidney transplant in the past, he was already taking immunosuppressants, which is why he was accepted to participate in the clinical trial.

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Kedian’s lead physician, Dr. David Lott, chief of head and neck surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, said operating on a cancer patient is an “important step in advancing laryngeal transplant science because we can observe him in his natural environment without putting him at additional risk.”

Symptoms to look out for

Unlike breast cancer, cervical cancer and prostate cancer, there are no annual screening tests for laryngeal cancer, so doctors often do not discover the disease until a patient has persistent symptoms that may indicate it.

Some symptoms may include:

• A cough
• Changes in your voice
• difficulties swallowing
• Earache
• A lump or wound that does not heal
• Sore throat
• Weight loss

It’s important to note that these symptoms aren’t unique to throat cancer. Still, you should always see a doctor if you experience any changes in your health, especially if these signs last for more than a few weeks. Additionally, it’s always a good idea to track your symptoms so your doctor can figure out what might be going on.

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