OBJECTIVES: To assess quality of life in patients diagnosed with epidermoid carcinoma of the larynx, after supracricoid partial laryngectomy (SCPL) with cricohyoidoepiglottopexy (CHEP). To examine how quality-of-life may be associated to the treatment received: neck dissection, decannulation and radiotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHOD: A descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted involving 26 patients out of a group of 51. They were all males with an average age of 61.7 years at the time of the interview. We used the disease-specific quality of life questionnaire devised by the University of Michigan: the Head and Neck Cancer-specific Quality of life instrument (HNQOL). RESULTS: During an average follow-up period of 83.65 months, 2 patients (3.92%) suffered a recurrence. Estimated survival after 3, 5 and 10 years was 95.83%. Communication and overall disturbances caused by treatment were found to be the two quality-of-life domains mainly affected. Generally speaking, patients who had received radiotherapy, those who had not had their tracheal cannula removed or those that had undergone neck dissection were the most affected. CONCLUSIONS: SCPL with CHEP as a surgical technique allows good control of the condition and has a low impact on the patient's quality of life.
OBJECTIVES: To assess quality of life in patients diagnosed with epidermoid carcinoma of the larynx, after supracricoid partial laryngectomy (SCPL) with cricohyoidoepiglottopexy (CHEP). To examine how quality-of-life may be associated to the treatment received: neck dissection, decannulation and radiotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHOD: A descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted involving 26 patients out of a group of 51. They were all males with an average age of 61.7 years at the time of the interview. We used the disease-specific quality of life questionnaire devised by the University of Michigan: the Head and Neck Cancer-specific Quality of life instrument (HNQOL). RESULTS: During an average follow-up period of 83.65 months, 2 patients (3.92%) suffered a recurrence. Estimated survival after 3, 5 and 10 years was 95.83%. Communication and overall disturbances caused by treatment were found to be the two quality-of-life domains mainly affected. Generally speaking, patients who had received radiotherapy, those who had not had their tracheal cannula removed or those that had undergone neck dissection were the most affected. CONCLUSIONS: SCPL with CHEP as a surgical technique allows good control of the condition and has a low impact on the patient's quality of life.