LARYNGEAL CANCER:QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG PATIENTS UNDERWENT TOTAL LARYNGECTOMY

Abstract

Introduction: Laryngeal cancer is an important health problem causing negative effects on patients’ quality of life (QOL). Objectives: The aim of this research is to study QOL of the patients with laryngeal cancer who underwent TL, laryngectomees, and to study impact of early speech restoration on QOL of these patients. Subjects and methods: A case-control, hospital- based study design was used. A total number of 90 laryngectomees and a control group of the same number were enrolled in this research. Results: The laryngectomees had a significantly poorer self-reported health-related QOL domain scores than the controls on all eight Short Form (SF)-36 domains (P=0.000). Also, the laryngectomees with primary/secondary tracheoesophageal puncture (TEP) had significantly poorer self-reported health-related QOL domain scores than the controls on all eight SF-36 domains (P=0.000). Further, patients with primary TEP had significantly higher self-reported health-related QOL domain scores than the patients with secondary TEP on the social functioning, emotional limitation and mental health domain scores of SF-36 QOL with statistically significant differences (P=0.003, 0.006 and 0.019; respectively). Conclusions: Voice restoration is an important essentiality for the laryngectomees. Primary TEP is preferred over secondary TEP. Recommendations: More studies are needed on large number of patients to understand the impact of the laryngeal cancer and consequent of its therapy on QOL of these patients on short and long term.