<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><sec id="j_raon-2019-0050_s_007_w2aab3b8b7b1b7b1aab1c16b1Aa"><h3>Background</h3><p>Radiotherapy (RT) is a successful mode of treatment for early glottic cancer. The aim of the study was to assess voice quality both before and 3 months after successful RT using multimodal methods while also identifying the factors affecting it.</p></sec><sec id="j_raon-2019-0050_s_008_w2aab3b8b7b1b7b1aab1c16b2Aa"><h3>Patients and methods</h3><p>In 50 patients with T1 glottic carcinoma, the subjective (patients’ assessment of voice quality [VAS], Voice Handicap Index [VHI] questionnaire, phoniatricians’ assessment using the grade/roughness/ breathiness [GRB] scale), and objective assessments (fundamental laryngeal frequency [F<sub>0</sub>]<sub>,</sub> jitter, shimmer, maximum phonation time [MPT]) of voice quality were performed before RT and 3 months post-RT. The data on gender, age, extent of the tumors, biopsy types, smoking, local findings, and RT were obtained from the medical documentation.</p></sec><sec id="j_raon-2019-0050_s_009_w2aab3b8b7b1b7b1aab1c16b3Aa"><h3>Results</h3><p>Three months after the treatment, VAS, VHI, G and R scores, F<sub>0</sub>, and MPT significantly improved in comparison with their assessment prior to treatment. Before the treatment, the involvement of the anterior commissure significantly deteriorated jitter (p = 0.044) and the involvement of both vocal folds deteriorated jitter (p = 0.003) and shimmer (p = 0.007). After the RT, F<sub>0</sub> was significantly higher in the patients with repeated biopsy than in the others (p = 0.047). In patients with post-RT changes, the B score was significantly higher than in those without post-RT changes (p = 0.029).</p></sec><sec id="j_raon-2019-0050_s_010_w2aab3b8b7b1b7b1aab1c16b4Aa"><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Voice quality already significantly improved three months after the treatment of glottic cancer. The main reason for the decreased voice quality prior to treatment is the tumor’s extent. Post-RT laryngeal changes and repeated biopsies caused more scarring on vocal folds adversely influencing voice quality after the treatment.</p></sec></abstract>

BackgroundRadiotherapy (RT) is a successful mode of treatment for early glottic cancer. The aim of the study was to assess voice quality both before and 3 months after successful RT using multimodal methods while also identifying the factors affecting it.Patients and methodsIn 50 patients with T1 glottic carcinoma, the subjective (patients’ assessment of voice quality [VAS], Voice Handicap Index [VHI] questionnaire, phoniatricians’ assessment using the grade/roughness/ breathiness [GRB] scale), and objective assessments (fundamental laryngeal frequency [F0], jitter, shimmer, maximum phonation time [MPT]) of voice quality were performed before RT and 3 months post-RT. The data on gender, age, extent of the tumors, biopsy types, smoking, local findings, and RT were obtained from the medical documentation.ResultsThree months after the treatment, VAS, VHI, G and R scores, F0, and MPT significantly improved in comparison with their assessment prior to treatment. Before the treatment, the involvement of the anterior commissure significantly deteriorated jitter (p = 0.044) and the involvement of both vocal folds deteriorated jitter (p = 0.003) and shimmer (p = 0.007). After the RT, F0 was significantly higher in the patients with repeated biopsy than in the others (p = 0.047). In patients with post-RT changes, the B score was significantly higher than in those without post-RT changes (p = 0.029).ConclusionsVoice quality already significantly improved three months after the treatment of glottic cancer. The main reason for the decreased voice quality prior to treatment is the tumor’s extent. Post-RT laryngeal changes and repeated biopsies caused more scarring on vocal folds adversely influencing voice quality after the treatment.

Factors affecting voice quality in early glottic cancer before and after radiotherapy

Radiology and Oncology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

BackgroundRadiotherapy (RT) is a successful mode of treatment for early glottic cancer. The aim of the study was to assess voice quality both before and 3...

Factors affecting voice quality in early glottic cancer before and after radiotherapy

Article Category: Research Article

Published Online: Oct 18, 2019

Page range: 459 - 464

Received: Aug 25, 2019

Accepted: Sep 17, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/raon-2019-0050

© 2019 Jana Mekis, Primoz Strojan, Irena Hocevar Boltezar, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.