[Quality of life in long-term survivors after laryngectomy]

This study was designed to assess the postoperative quality of life (QoL) of 30 patients successfully treated with a laryngectomy.

QoL was evaluated with two validated questionnaires (EORTC-QLQ-C30 and EORTC-QLQ-H&N35) during the regular outpatient follow-up. To analyse the long-term quality of life, we divided our collective into two groups of patients; one consisting of patients whose treatment had been completed less than five years ago and one whose therapy had been finished more than five years ago.

The collective consisted of 24 men (80 %) and 6 (20 %) women with a mean age of 58.8 +/- 8.7 years. Mean follow-up was 53 months (range: 12 - 110). Most patients (n = 15, 50 %) had a tumor stadium IV after UICC. Voice rehabilitation was achieved in all patients with a Provoxreg voice prosthesis. The global QoL was rated as satisfying with a mean value of 62. The analysis of the specific questionnaire showed mostly a limitation of smell. Patients, whose treatment was longer than five years ago, showed a slight improvement in the global QoL. Overall we could not find a significant difference concerning the QoL between the two groups.

In our study the QoL of laryngectomized patients was satisfying. The most common symptoms were problems with smell, cough and dyspnoea.