Objective: estimate the prevalence of anxiety in laryngectomy patients in the pre and postoperative periods and its relation with the self-care level. Method: observational research of 40 patients with stage IV laryngeal cancer. Three observations took place: in the preoperative phase, at seven and at 14 days after the surgery; between June 2010 and December 2012. Two self-care levels were defined: self-sufficient and needing help for activities of daily living and treatment-related activities. To assess the anxiety levels, Zigmond's hospital anxiety scale (1983) was used. Results: in the preoperative and postoperative phases, the patients presented high levels of anxiety. Concerning self-care, on average, self-sufficient patients presented lower levels of anxiety than patients who needed help to accomplish activities of daily living and activities deriving from the surgery, without significant differences. Conclusion: anxiety is present at all times in laryngectomy patients and the reduction of the self-care deficit seems to decrease it, without putting a permanent end to it.

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Background and aims: Nursing care requires knowledge of the best possible care techniques and plays a significant role in the nutritional status of cancer patients. The main purpose was assessing the changes in the nutritional profile between the preoperative and postoperative periods for patients with laryngeal cancer and their relationship to pharyngocutaneous fistula. Methods: Observational study of 40 patients. During April 2010 and December 2011 nutritional risk assessment on admission and evaluation of nutritional parameters on admission (t 0 ), at 7 (t 1 ) and 14 (t 2 ) days were carried out. Statistical techniques for longitudinal (or repeated) data and Generalised Estimating Equations models (GEE) were used. Results: On admission, 37.5% of patients had reduced their usual weight by a percentage greater than or equal to 5%, and had a moderate risk of suffering malnutrition; of the patients, 62.5% for [t o , t 1 ] and 80% for [t 1 , t 2 ] reduced their weight by a percentage greater than or equal to 2%. The average of weight loss was 4.32 (SD 2.20 [3.62e5.03]) kg for [t 0 , t 2 ]. Three quarters of these had C-reactive protein levels over 5 mg/l. Weight loss was associated with decreased caloric intake at 7 and 14 days, (r ¼ 0.05, p ¼ 0.031 (r ¼ 0.438, p ¼ 0.005) respectively. Decreased caloric intake was associated with a feeling of satiety. 27.5 percent of the patients had a pharyngocutaneous fistula, which was significantly associated with the percentage of weight loss (p-value ¼ 0.032) and lower levels of albumin and prealbumin, with a mean difference of 0.36 g/dl (p ¼ 0.014) and 7.65 mg/dl (p ¼ 0.005) and 0.68 g/dl (p ¼ 0.0001) respectively. Conclusion: Patients lose weight before and during treatment and this weight loss is a poor prognosis for the development of pharyngocutaneous fistula in patients with total laryngectomy.