[Functional results after radiation therapy and chordectomy for carcinoma of the vocal cord]

A report is given on the results of comparative clinical, stroboscopical and sonagraphical investigations in 40 patients who were treated on account of vocal cord carcinoma in the T1-T3 stages at the E. N. T. clinic of Jena during 1956-1973. The therapeutic treatment was institial irradiation, chordectomy, or irradiation only. Clinicomorphological changes of the healthly vocal cord were observed with nearly all procedures used. The incidence was considerably higher with iradiated patients. The best functional late results appeared after institial irradiation and irradiation. The vocal rehabilitation after chordectomy may be considered promising, too. From the results obtained we can conclude that when deciding on the selection of further medical procedure the analyses of functional late results should be taken into account, considering, of course, the stage of the disease and the greatest remedial success. The group of people mentioned should be given in any case together with tumor aftertreatment in a phoniatric follow-up, since the psychological stress present may be considerably reduced for the benefit of optimal rehabilitation.