Quality of Life and Social Impact in Patiens with Laryngeal Tumors after Radiotherapy

Abstract

Malignant laryngeal tumor occupies an important place among ENT malignancies, representing 26% of head and neck cancers. The control of the disease and especially the quality of life are parameters often overlooked. The term "quality of life", has social impact too. The aim of this retrospective, observational study, is to evaluate the quality of life of patients with laryngeal tumors and the social impact in patients after the radiotherapy or radiochemotherapy. The group of study included 52 patients, diagnosed with histopathologically confirmed laryngeal tumors. The evaluation of the quality of life was done before and after surgery and during the radiotherapy and chemotherapy, weekly, for 8 weeks. The tools used to assess the quality of life, were the questionnaires EORTC QLQ-30 version 3.0, and EORTC QLQ 35. EORTC QLQ-30 version 3.0 showed a low score on scales such fatigue, pain and sleep problems, from the beginning of therapy. The symptoms that appeared during the treatment, with statistical significance were: fatigue, nausea / vomiting, pain and appetite problems. EORTC QLQ-35 signals from the beginning of therapy problems with the senses, voice, social life, cough, which increase in severity as the radiation dose increases. At the end of treatment, pain scales, senses, social life and dry mouth were affected. In conclusion, the patients with laryngeal tumors present an important degradation of the quality of life and social integration after the treatment and radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy, situation that we must take into account in the therapeutic plan.