title: Quality of life and voice assessment in patients with early-stage glottic cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of life (QOL) and voice handicap in a sample of disease-free patients who had been treated at our center with radiotherapy (RT) or surgery for early glottic cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  QOL and voice handicap were assessed using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) questionnaires Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30-questions (QLQ-C30) and Quality of Life Questionnaire-Head and Neck 35-questions (QLQ-H&N35) and the Voice Handicap Index (VHI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-one patients completed the questionnaires. Fifty-nine patients (65%) were treated with RT and 32 (35%) with surgery. QOL scores for the sample recorded, moderate limitations in 6 areas, and more than moderate limitations (>30 of 100) in 2 areas. Significant differences were found in emotional functioning (88.5 vs 76.6) and social contact (4.6 vs 12.1) on the EORTC questionnaires and on the VHI (6.1 vs 12.8), which favored the RT group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this cross-sectional study, voice quality, emotional functioning, and social contact were better in the RT group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Navarra, Spain.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Arias
authors.forename: Juan Ignacio
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Arraras
authors.forename: Gemma
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Asin
authors.forename: María Itziar
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Uzcanga
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maraví
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chicata
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Eito
authors.forename: Uxue
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Zarandona
authors.forename: Itxaso
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mora
authors.forename: Meritxell
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vila
authors.forename: Miguel Angel
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Domínguez
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005931:Glottis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D007825:Laryngectomy / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D018570:Risk Assessment; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014833:Voice Quality
keywords: glottic cancer; quality of life; quality of voice; radiotherapy