[Larynx cancer: quality of life and voice after treatment].

INTRODUCTION

Treatments for patients with laryngeal cancer often have an impact on physical, social, and psychological functions.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate quality of life and voice in patients treated for advanced laryngeal cancer through surgery or exclusive chemoradiation.

METHODS

Retrospective cohort study with 30 patients free from disease: ten total laryngectomy patients without production of esophageal speech (ES); ten total laryngectomy patients with tracheoesophageal speech (TES), and ten with laryngeal speech. Quality of life was measured by SF-36, Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL), and Voice Handicap Index (VHI) protocols, applied on the same day.

RESULTS

The SF-36 showed that patients who received exclusive chemoradiotherapy had better quality of life than the TES and ES groups. The V-RQOL showed that the voice-related quality of life was lower in the ES group. In the VHI, the ES group showed higher scores for overall, emotional, functional, and organic VHI.

DISCUSSION: Quality of life and voice in patients treated with chemoradiotherapy was better than in patients treated surgically.

CONCLUSION

The type of medical treatment used in patients with laryngeal cancer can bring changes in quality of life and voice.