title: Alcohol consumption after laryngectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was the analysis of drinking behaviour in laryngectomised patients and its concomitants in quality of life and mental health.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multi-centered cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and twenty-five laryngectomised patients were asked to participate in the study. One hundred and seventy nine patients (80%) were interviewed after laryngectomy at six different ENT clinics in Germany.
  
  
  METHODS
  'Questionnaire of Health Behaviour' (FEG), 'Short Questionnaire of Alcohol Risk', Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Hornheider Questionnaire (HFB), Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) and the Quality of Life Questionnaires of the European Organization of Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) (EORTC QLQ-C30, EORTC QLQ-H & N35).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Alcohol dependence was found in 7% of the patients. Half of the respondents showed a constant consumption of alcohol with 6% of the patients who wanted to change their consumption. Patients with alcohol dependence indicated in comparison with non-dependent persons increased anxiety (p = 0.03), problems in coping with illness (p = 0.03), increased psychosocial care needs (p = 0.02), fatigue (p = 0.04), shortness of breath (p = 0.04), diarrhoea (p = 0.02) and a worse emotional functioning level (p = 0.03). Alcohol intake was independent of tumour stage (p = 0.48), employment status (p = 0.54), social class (p = 0.82), the time interval since laryngectomy (p = 0.64) and type of voice substitute (p = 0.76). The quality of life and mental state were independent of the amount of alcohol consumed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results show that alcohol dependence is associated with adverse psychosocial and medical consequences, which require treatment. Socio-demographic and medical parameters do not allow any conclusions to alcoholism risk. Therefore, an individual exploration of the patients' drinking behaviour is needed, which could prepare the ground to specific treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. Helge.Danker@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Danker
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Keszte
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Singer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thomä
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Täschner
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brähler
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dietz
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D007825:Laryngectomy / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires