Cancer of the larynx makes up about one third of head and neck cancers and claims the 11th cause of cancer in men worldwide [1,2]. Reported incidence is 2.76 cases per year per 100,000 people with an estimated 12,380 new cases in 2023 [3,4]. Of all laryngeal cancers, squamous cell carcinoma is the most common histological type at 95–98 % [1,5]. Risk factors for developing laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma include tobacco, alcohol, dietary factors, radiation, genetic predisposition, environmental exposures, reflux, and potentially HPV viral infection [1,2,6]. Clinical presentation can be variable but often can include symptoms of dysphonia, dysphagia, odynophagia, sore throat, shortness of breath, or enlarged lymph nodes [2,7].

Cancers caught in early stages have a generally high probability of cure around 80–90 %, although this can decrease to around 60 % with advanced, late-stage tumors [1]. Glottic cancer is the most common subsite with a 84 % localized 5-year survival rate and 45 % distant survival [2,8]. Supraglottic and subglottic subsites report 5-year survival rates of 59–61 % if localized and 30–44 % if distant [8]. In addition to subsite, survival rates depend on a variety of prognostic factors [6,9]. However, a clear difference in survival based stage alone remains evident.

Treatment of laryngeal cancer is complex and dependent on stage, anatomic considerations, tumor variables, and patient-specific factors. Generally, early-stage tumors are treated with local radiation or surgical excision. Most commonly, transoral laser microsurgery that spares the vocal cords can be done, although cordectomy or partial to total laryngectomy may be used as well [2,6,7,10]. In contrast, late-stage cancers are most often treated more aggressively with various combinations of total laryngectomy or other surgical excision, chemotherapy, and/or radiation [2,6,7,11]. With continued treatment advances, many patients can be cured following resection and treatment of the cancer even in later stages.

However, survival is not the only consideration as many of these more aggressive treatment regimens leave patients with functional impacts following treatment. Laryngectomy can leave patients with a variety of functional deficits including changes to speech, swallowing, smell and taste as well as a host of complications including bleeding, infection, fistulas, airway issues, and psychological impact [5,12,13]. Further side effects from chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy that influence quality of life are extensive and most often include dysphagia, pain, dysphonia, xerostomia, mucositis, and depression [[14], [15], [16]]. Given the worsened survival outcomes and post-treatment morbidity of a later-stage diagnosis, it is important to understand what may cause a patient to present at an earlier versus a later stage.

Demographics are well cited in the literature to have an impact on patient care and outcomes in many areas of medicine, with cancer treatment being no exception. Factors like sex, age, race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, insurance payer, facility type, neighborhood factors, and education level all play into the complexities of cancer diagnosis and treatment [[17], [18], [19], [20], [21], [22]]. Similar variables are likely to contribute to patients having comorbid conditions that may also worsen overall prognosis [23]. This study aims to identify what demographic variables might be associated with being diagnosed with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma at a later stage, thus, causing a worsened morbidity and mortality.