title: [Quality of life for patients with laryngeal cancer].
abstract: The number of diagnosed instances of larynx cancer is systematically increasing, especially in men. Treatment, in the majority of cases, is undertaken at an advanced stage of the disease. This is the major factor determining the outcome of therapy and the patients' quality of life. The aim of this paper is to estimate the environmental and occupational risk factors as well as to evaluate the quality of life of patients before they were diagnosed with larynx cancer and after the treatment was completed. The analysis involved 82 patients after total laryngectomy due to squamous cell carcinoma. A vast majority of the patients (96%) abused alcohol and were heavy smokers (95%). 76% were exposed to harmful environmental conditions and 56%--to harmful conditions at workplace. After treatment, which was accepted by over 96% of the patients, many of them quit using alcohol (57%) and quit smoking (73%). Because of difficult economic situation only few of them decided to change their working or living conditions. 47% of patients judged that after the diagnosis and consequently after undergoing complete treatment, the quality of their life deteriorated. Their awareness of the health-threatening factors had however grown.
authors.affiliation: Klinika Otolaryngologii Akademii Medycznej, Białymstoku.
authors.forename: Ireneusz
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rzewnicki
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jackiewicz
authors.forename: Jolanta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Biszewska
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bułatewicz
authors.forename: Urszula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wierzba
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rzewnicka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D007825:Laryngectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome