Speech intelligibility in patients with oral cancer: An objective baseline evaluation of pretreatment function and impairment

Abstract

Background This study seeks to identify those factors that influence the pre‐therapeutic speech intelligibility in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Method A group of 172 patients (125 males, 47 females, mean age = 61 ± 11 a) with different OSCC stages ranging from T1 to T4 and N0 to N2 was examined for their speech intelligibility using a computerized measuring tool, and compared to a healthy reference group (30 males, 10 females, mean age = 59 ± 12 a). Results It was found that the pre‐therapeutic speech intelligibility in patients with OSCC is decreased when compared to a healthy collective. Two demographic factors that influence speech intelligibility could be identified: sex and age. It was determined that the only disease‐related factor that influences speech intelligibility before therapy is the location of the tumor. Conclusion The results of this study reveal that a preoperative speech intelligibility impairment in patients suffering from OSCC occurs independent of tumor stage, size of the tumor and infiltration status.

Speech disorders in patients with Tongue squamous cell carcinoma: A longitudinal observational study based on a questionnaire and acoustic analysis

“…The incidence of preoperative speech disorders in patients with TSCC was up to 58.7%, indicating that preoperative speech impairment in TSCC patients also needs to be taken seriously. In previous studies, researchers have noticed that the speech intelligibility is worse in TSCC patients than in the normal population before surgery [ 45 , 46 ]. However, they did not find a high incidence of preoperative speech disorders.…”

Construction of an automatic score for the evaluation of speech disorders among patients treated for a cancer of the oral cavity or the oropharynx: The Carcinologic Speech Severity Index

“…PEAKS developed on a continuous basis by the team of Erlangen in Germany. 7,16 One of the reasons may be the constant evolution of informatics and the explosive accelerated development of machine learning approaches in the automatic speech processing field. Thus, the work that we began in 2014 has already evolved in our team toward reprocessing of the data with deep neural networks.…”

“…This situation persists despite publications and developments dating back more than 10 years by certain teams, e.g. PEAKS developed on a continuous basis by the team of Erlangen in Germany 7,16 . One of the reasons may be the constant evolution of informatics and the explosive accelerated development of machine learning approaches in the automatic speech processing field.…”

“…For UADT cancers, it is mainly a question of the impacts on the major functions of communication (oral) and nutrition (swallowing). 1 With regard to speech, the impact of the size of the tumor, 2,3 the localization of the tumor, 4 and the association of surgery with radiotherapy, 5 as well as the role of age 6,7 have been demonstrated. Patients' QoL will thus be compromised, 1 with particular consequences for social relations.…”

Using the PRAAT software to describe dependence of speech intelligibility on tongue mobility in 6 patients after salvage glossectomy and reconstruction with a serratus anterior free flap

“…A similar concept of an automatic, computer‐based speech analysis programme has been described by a German research group before 7,12 . By using the PRAAT software, we were able to describe and quantify the change of pronunciation of vowels before and after salvage glossectomy compared to a reference cohort.…”