Background:The aim was to collate and contrast patient concerns from a range of different head and neck cancer follow-up clinics around the world.Also, we sought to explore the relationship, if any, between responses to the patient concerns inventory (PCI) and overall quality of life (QOL). Methods: Nineteen units participated with intention of including 100 patients per site as close to a consecutive series as possible in order to minimize selection bias.Results: There were 2136 patients with a median total number of PCI items selected of 5 (2-10). "Fear of the cancer returning" (39%) and "dry mouth" (37%) were most common. Twenty-five percent (524) reported less than good QOL.Conclusion: There was considerable variation between units in the number of items selected and in overall QOL, even after allowing for case-mix variables.There was a strong progressive association between the number of PCI items and QOL. K E Y W O R D Shead and neck cancer, patient concerns inventory, patient prompt list, quality of life

Background:Health-related quality of life (HRQL) and voice handicap index (VHI) of laryngectomies seem to be relevant regarding voice rehabilitation. The aim of this study is to assess the impact on HRQL and VHI of laryngectomies, following voice rehabilitation.Materials and Methods:A retrospective study done at the Ear, Nose, and Throat Department of the Emergency County Hospital. Sixty-five laryngectomees were included in this study, of which 62 of them underwent voice rehabilitation. Voice handicap and QOL were assessed using the QOL questionnaires developed by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC); variables used were functional scales (physical, role, cognitive, emotional, and social), symptom scales (fatigue, pain, and nausea and vomiting), global QOL scale (pain, swallowing, senses, speech, social eating, social contact, and sexuality), and the functional, physical, and emotional aspects of the voice handicap (one-way ANOVA test).Results:The mean age of the patients was 59.22 (standard deviation = 9.00) years. A total of 26 (40%) patients had moderate VHI (between 31 and 60) and 39 (60%) patients had severe VHI (higher than 61). Results of the HRQL questionnaires showed that patients who underwent speech therapy obtained better scores in most scales (P = 0.000). Patients with esophageal voice had a high score for functional scales compared with or without other voice rehabilitation methods (P = 0.07), and the VHI score for transesophageal prosthesis was improved after an adjustment period. The global health status and VHI scores showed a statistically significant correlation between speaker groups.Conclusion:The EORTC and the VHI questionnaires offer more information regarding life after laryngectomy.

The aims of this study were to evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQL) according to: type of surgery, adjuvant oncological treatment and postoperative complications. We performed a retrospective case-control study between October 2013 and November 2014 at the Ear Nose and Throat Clinic of Cluj-Napoca. We included patients diagnosed with laryngeal or hypopharyngeal cancer treated with total or partial laryngectomy, and a sample of healthy volunteers recruited from the hospital stuff. We used the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EOTRC) core questionnaires (the QLQ-C30 version 3) and the head and neck cancer module (the QLQ-H&N35). We included in the study 80 patients diagnosed and surgically treated for laryngeal/hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and 20 healthy volunteers. Median age of the patients was 59.90 years. The most common location was the larynx, in 72 (90 %) of cases and the hypopharynx in 8 (10 %) cases. Sixty-six (82, 50 %) underwent total laryngectomy and 14 (17, 50 %) a partial laryngectomy. Forty-eight patients had received external radiation therapy, with adjuvant chemotherapy in 25 patients. Postoperative complication rates were 14 (17, 50 %) cases. We found a low score in total laryngectomy group regarding functional scales: role (28.03), emotional (37.75) and social (37.88) and a high score on insomnia (35.86) and financial difficulties (45.45). Partial laryngectomy group had a high score on functional scales: role (47.62), emotional (51.19) and social (52.38). These two QOL instruments were effective for Romanian patients. The QLQ-H&N35 questionnaire discriminating better the problems between groups compared with QLQ-C30.

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