Health-related quality of life in laryngeal cancer patients

Objective: To compare health-related quality of life (QOL) in laryngeal cancer patients using generic and head and neck cancer-specific questionnaires. Methods: A total of 52 patients, who were diagnosed as laryngeal cancer between January 2003 and January 2006, were included in the study. The patients were requested to fill up EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-H&N35 questionnaire forms. These questionnaires were responded by the patients before treatment and at 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 12th months of the treatment. Results: Patients who received surgical therapy or chemotherapy for laryngeal cancer without any tumor recurrence up to 12th month of the treatment were evaluated. Changes in the mean values of all variables other than the changes in the mean score of diarrhea variable of QLQ-C30 questionnaire were found to be statistically significant. The questionnaire scores of QLQ-H&N35 were found to be statistically significant in terms of all variables except opening mouth, intake of nutritional supplements and use of feeding tube. Conclusion: Since quality of life of the patients who had undergone functional surgery is more satisfactory, functional surgery should be preferred to the extent permitted by oncological principles.