Impact on Quality of Life

Abstract

Health-related quality of life has been studied in recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) using generic validated tools in both adults and children. As anticipated, the detrimental effects of this condition on quality of life are substantial and mimic those of other chronic diseases. In the absence of a validated disease-specific quality of life tool, voice-related quality of life has been used as a surrogate measure, as voice dysfunction is recognized as a predominant detrimental health effect in individuals with RRP. A plethora of voice-related quality of life tools exists to explore the physical, emotional, and social impacts of voice disorders, and several studies have confirmed the impact of RRP is consistent with other vocal diseases. Of importance, both generic and voice-specific health-related quality of life measures do not necessarily correlate well with anatomical disease severity in RRP. In addition, an impact on voice has been shown long after remission and absence of active laryngeal papilloma disease. This suggests caution should be taken in relying on anatomical disease extent as the sole outcome measure for studies of RRP interventions. Development and validation of a disease-specific quality of life measure for RRP would provide a potentially valuable tool for clinical and research outcomes but would likely require a multi-institutional collaboration.