Comparison of quality of life in advanced laryngeal cancer patients after concurrent chemoradiotherapy vs total laryngectomy.

Abstract

To compare quality of life (QOL) of patients with advanced laryngeal cancers treated by total laryngectomy with those who received concurrent chemoradiotherapy. This is a cross-sectional study of the patients treated in our institution who have completed one year of follow-up and were disease-free at the time of evaluation. Forty patients treated for advanced cancer of the larynx (stage III/IV), either by concurrent chemoradiation (11) or total laryngectomy and postoperative radiation (29), have been included in this study. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Head and Neck (FACT-H&N) version 4 questionnaire was used. Total scores for overall QOL are equal in both treatment groups (P = 0.69). Scores for individual components are similar in both treatment groups. However, dryness of mouth is significantly worse in the chemoradiotherapy group (P = 0.01) and ability to communicate with others is poorer in the laryngectomy group (P = 0.03). Long-term overall QOL remains similar in all the patients treated for advanced carcinoma of the larynx irrespective of treatment modality.