Florian Stelzle1, Nicolai Oetter1, Luisa Theresa Goellner1, Werner Adler2, Maximilian Rohde3, Andreas Maier4, Levi Matthies5, Marco Rainer Kesting1, Christian Knipfer5. 1. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany. 2. Department of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology (IMBE), Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany. 3. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilian-University Munich, University Hospital Munich, Munich, Germany. 4. Department of Computer Science 5, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany. 5. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Hamburg (UHH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study seeks to identify those factors that influence the pre-therapeutic speech intelligibility in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). METHOD: A group of 172 patients (125 males, 47 females, mean age = 61 ± 11 a) with different OSCC stages ranging from T1 to T4 and N0 to N2 was examined for their speech intelligibility using a computerized measuring tool, and compared to a healthy reference group (30 males, 10 females, mean age = 59 ± 12 a). RESULTS: It was found that the pre-therapeutic speech intelligibility in patients with OSCC is decreased when compared to a healthy collective. Two demographic factors that influence speech intelligibility could be identified: sex and age. It was determined that the only disease-related factor that influences speech intelligibility before therapy is the location of the tumor. CONCLUSION: The results of this study reveal that a preoperative speech intelligibility impairment in patients suffering from OSCC occurs independent of tumor stage, size of the tumor and infiltration status.
BACKGROUND: This study seeks to identify those factors that influence the pre-therapeutic speech intelligibility in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). METHOD: A group of 172 patients (125 males, 47 females, mean age = 61 ± 11 a) with different OSCC stages ranging from T1 to T4 and N0 to N2 was examined for their speech intelligibility using a computerized measuring tool, and compared to a healthy reference group (30 males, 10 females, mean age = 59 ± 12 a). RESULTS: It was found that the pre-therapeutic speech intelligibility in patients with OSCC is decreased when compared to a healthy collective. Two demographic factors that influence speech intelligibility could be identified: sex and age. It was determined that the only disease-related factor that influences speech intelligibility before therapy is the location of the tumor. CONCLUSION: The results of this study reveal that a preoperative speech intelligibility impairment in patients suffering from OSCC occurs independent of tumor stage, size of the tumor and infiltration status.