Tumours of the larynx, head, neck and chest can all lead to vocal cord paralysis, with tumours of the neck being the most common, including thyroid cancer, parathyroid cancer and laryngeal cancer. In addition, tumours of the skull base, lung and mediastinum, and chest tumours can also lead to vocal cord paralysis, including paraganglioma of the jugular foramen, nerve sheath meningioma, jugular venous bullae, lung cancer, mediastinal metastases and ulcerative oesophageal cancer of the upper mid-thoracic region.