Objective: To study the potential changes of health-related quality of life (HRQL), voice quality, and communicative function up to 24 months following radiotherapy for patients with laryngeal cancer. Methods: A total of 28 patients with laryngeal cancer, treated by curatively intended radiotherapy were included in this prospective longitudinal descriptive study. Patients were followed pre-radiotherapy, 12 months, and 24 months post-radiotherapy. At each time point, voice recordings and patient-reported outcome instruments (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life Questionnaire Core30, Head and Neck35, Swedish Self-Evaluation of Communication Experiences after Laryngeal Cancer) were completed. Perceptual analysis using the Grade-Roughness-Breathiness-Asthenia-Strain was performed using the voice recordings. Results: Voice quality remains inferior to the voices of healthy controls both before and up to 24 months post-radiotherapy, demonstrating no statistically significant changes during the study period. Self-perceived communicative function revealed a trend toward improvement. Health-related quality of life remains mostly at stable levels, however, with statistically significant deterioration regarding dry mouth and sticky saliva. Generally, patients reported inferior scores compared to a normal population. Conclusion: This study demonstrated no statistically significant changes over time in HRQL and perceptual voice quality at pre-radiotherapy compared to 24 months post-radiotherapy. However, the values remain inferior to the voices of healthy controls or a normal population.
CITATION STYLE
Tuomi, L., & Karlsson, T. (2021, December 1). Voice Quality, Function, and Quality of Life for Laryngeal Cancer: A Prospective Longitudinal Study Up to 24 Months Following Radiotherapy. Ear, Nose and Throat Journal. SAGE Publications Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145561320929941
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