Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rcrh6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T10:44:01.890Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Is there a difference in quality of life, comparing summer and winter, in patients who have undergone total laryngectomy?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 October 2007

F C Van Wyk*
Affiliation:
Department of ENT Surgery, Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, UK
F Vaz
Affiliation:
Department of Head and Neck Cancer Services, University College Hospital, London, UK
M Harries
Affiliation:
Department of ENT Surgery, Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, UK
J Weighill
Affiliation:
Department of ENT Surgery, Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, UK
*
Address for correspondence: Mr F C van Wyk, 53 Bushy Hill Drive, Guildford GU1 2UQ, UK. Fax: 01483532388 E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

Introduction:

Several studies have implied that patients' quality of life stabilises six months after undergoing total laryngectomy. However, these studies may well have overlooked persistent short term variations in patients' quality of life. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of seasonal change (i.e. summer vs winter) on the quality of life of patients following total laryngectomy.

Methods:

A prospective, cross-sectional study of recurrence-free laryngectomy patients was performed, using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (version three) QLQ-C30 questionnaires (EORTC QLQ-C30), during January 2004 (i.e. winter), August 2004 (summer) and January 2005 (winter).

Results:

Thirty-six patients were entered into the study. The response rate was 70.3 per cent. Patient's time elapsed since surgery varied from six months to 12 years. In all questionnaire domains, responses seemed remarkably consistent over time.

Conclusion:

No statistically significant differences were found between summer and winter scores in all the domains analysed by the EORTC QLQ-C30.

Type
Main Article
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

Presented as a poster at the British Academic Conference in Otolaryngology, 5 to 7 July 2006, Birmingham, UK.

References

1 Pruyn, JFA, De Jong, PC, Bosman, LJ, van Poppel, JWMJ, van den Borne, HW, Ryckman, RM et al. Psychosocial aspects of head and neck cancer – a review of the literature. Clin Otolaryngol 1986;11:469–74CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2 Morton, RP, Davies, AD, Baker, J, Baker, GA, Stell, PM. Quality of life in treated head and neck cancer patients: a preliminary report. Clin Otolaryngol 1984;9:181–5CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3 De Graeff, A, De Leeuw, J, Ros, W, Hordijk, G, Blijham, GH, Winnubst, JAM. Long-term quality of life of patients with head and neck cancer. Laryngoscope 2000;110:98106Google Scholar
4 Campbell, BH, Marbella, A, Layde, PM. Quality of life and recurrence concern in survivors of head and neck cancer. Laryngoscope 2000;110:895906CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5 Paleri, V, Stafford, FW, Leontsinis, TG, Hildreth, AJ. Quality of life in laryngectomees: a post-treatment comparison of laryngectomy alone vs combined therapy. J Laryngol Otol 2001;115:450–4CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6 Jones, E, Lund, VJ, Howard, DJ, Greenberg, MP, McCarthy, M. Quality of life of patients treated surgically for head and neck cancer. J Laryngol Otol 1992;106:238–42Google Scholar
7 List, MA, Ritter-Sterr, CA, Baker, TM, Colangelo, LA, Matz, G, Pauloski, BR et al. Longitudinal assessment of quality of life in laryngeal cancer patients. Head Neck 1996;18:110Google Scholar
8 List, MA, Ritter-Sterr, CA, Lansky, SB. A performance status for head and neck cancer patients. Cancer 1990;66:504–9Google Scholar
9 Aaronson, NK, Ahmedza, S, Bergman, B, Bullinger, M, Cull, A, Duez, NJ et al. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30: a quality-of-life instrument for use in international clinical trials in oncology. J Natl Can Inst 1993;85:365–75Google Scholar
10 Browman, GP, Levine, MN, Hudson, DI, Sathya, J, Russell, R, Skingley, P et al. The head and neck radiotherapy questionnaire: a morbidity / quality of life instrument for clinical trials of radiation therapy in locally advanced head and neck cancer. J Clin Oncol 1993;11:863–72CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11 Cella, DF, Tulsky, DS, Gray, G, Sarafian, B, Linn, E, Bonomi, A et al. The functional assessment of cancer therapy scale: development and validation of the general measure. J Clin Oncol 1993;11:570–9CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12 Zotti, P, Lugli, D, Vaccher, E, Vidotto, G, Franchin, G, Barzan, L. The EORTC quality of life questionnaire-head and neck 35 in Italian laryngectomized patients. European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer. Qual Life Res 2000;9:1147–53CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13 Finizia, C, Bergman, B. Health-related quality of life in patients with laryngeal cancer: a post-treatment comparison of different modes of communication. Laryngoscope 2001;111:918–23Google Scholar
14 Rapoport, Y, Kreitler, S, Chaitchik, S, Algor, R, Weissler, K. Psychosocial problems in head and neck cancer patients and their change with time since diagnosis. Ann Oncol 1993;4:6973Google Scholar
15 Birkhaug, EJ, Aarstad, HJ, Aarstad, AK, Olofsson, J. Relation between mood, social support and the quality of life in patients with laryngectomies. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2002;259:197204CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16 Nalbadian, M, Nikolaou, A, Nikolaidis, V, Petridis, D, Themelis, C, Daniilidi, I. Factors influencing quality of life in laryngectomized patients. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2001;258:336–40CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17 Lloyd, S, Devesa-Martinez, P, Howard, DJ, Lund, VJ. Quality of life of patients undergoing surgical treatment of head and neck malignancy. Clin Otolaryngol 2003;28:524–32CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18 Armstrong, E, Isman, K, Dooley, P, Brine, D, Riley, N, Dentice, R et al. An investigation into the quality of life of individuals after laryngectomy. Head Neck 2001;23:16243.0.CO;2-4>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19 Weymuller, EA, Yueh, B, Deleyiannis, F, Kuntz, AL, Alsarraf, R, Coltrera, MD. Quality of life in head and neck cancer. Laryngoscope 2000;110:47Google Scholar
20 Hammerlid, E, Mercke, C, Sullivan, M, Westin, T. A prospective quality of life study of patients with laryngeal carcinoma by tumor stage and different radiation therapy schedules. Laryngoscope 1998;108:747–59Google Scholar
21 Terrell, JE, Fisher, SG, Wolf, GT. Long-term quality of life after treatment of laryngeal cancer. The Veterans Affairs Laryngeal Cancer Study Group. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1998;124:964–71CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22 Nordgren, M, Abendstein, H, Jannert, M, Boysen, M, Ahlner-Elmqvist, M, Silander, E et al. Health-related quality of life five years after diagnosis of laryngeal carcinoma. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2003;56:1333–43Google Scholar