Head and neck: laryngeal carcinoma: practice question

A General Surgery question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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General Surgery · Head and neck: laryngeal carcinoma

Sample item

A heavy smoker has persistent hoarseness for 8 weeks. Laryngoscopy shows a lesion on the true vocal cord. Why does glottic cancer have a good prognosis?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. It presents early and the cord has sparse lymphatics

The glottis has very few lymphatics, so glottic cancers present early with hoarseness and rarely metastasise to nodes. Supraglottic tumours have rich lymphatics and present late with nodal disease. Early glottic cancer is treated with radiotherapy or endoscopic laser surgery.

Option by option

  • A. It presents early and the cord has sparse lymphatics (correct)

    Correct. Early symptoms and sparse lymphatics improve outcomes.

  • B. It has no tendency to spread

    Glottic cancers can spread if neglected.

  • C. It has abundant lymphatic drainage

    Abundant lymphatics describe the supraglottis.

  • D. It is always superficial

    Tumours may invade deeply.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More General Surgery questions

Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is A, It presents early and the cord has sparse lymphatics. The glottis has very few lymphatics, so glottic cancers present early with hoarseness and rarely metastasise to nodes.

Why is "It has no tendency to spread" not the answer?

Glottic cancers can spread if neglected.

Why is "It has abundant lymphatic drainage" not the answer?

Abundant lymphatics describe the supraglottis.

Why is "It is always superficial" not the answer?

Tumours may invade deeply.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Head and neck: laryngeal carcinoma in General Surgery. Supraglottic tumours have rich lymphatics and present late with nodal disease. Early glottic cancer is treated with radiotherapy or endoscopic laser surgery.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Head and neck: laryngeal carcinoma?

Learn classic signs and eponyms alongside what they diagnose. Then use the flashcards and the other General Surgery questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.