<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><bold>BACKGROUND.</bold> Smell disorders may be classified in quantitative and qualitative. The literature shows that the main causes of odour disorders, both qualitative and quantitative, are due to aging, viral infections and tumors of the upper respiratory tract, craniocerebral trauma, neurodegenerative diseases of the nervous system, drug use or exposure to various toxic substances. Total laryngectomy and oncologic treatment causes smell disorders.<bold>OBJECTIVE.</bold> The aim of this study is to evaluate the aspects related to the patient’s smell disorders after total laryngectomy, during the oncological treatment represented by radiotherapy.<bold>MATERIAL AND METHODS.</bold> A prospective observational study was performed on a group of 52 patients, over a period of one year (2016-2017), who benefited from total laryngectomy and who underwent oncological treatment, represented by radiotherapy. Patients were evaluated before starting radiotherapy and during radiotherapy sessions. All patients underwent quantitative and qualitative smell assessment.<bold>RESULTS.</bold> At the end of week 7 of radiotherapy, none of the patients was considered normosmic, 10 patients were considered to be suffering from hyposmia and 42 from anosmia. Statistically significant changes in the quantitative determination of odour occurred in the fourth week, respectively at the radiation dose of 40Gy. Qualitative odour assessment in this study showed a statistically significant decrease starting with the fifth week of radiotherapy, respectively with a radiation dose of 50Gy.<bold>CONCLUSION.</bold> Radiation therapy has a major impact on the quality of life of patients with laryngeal cancer, which has the lowest scores at the beginning and end of the treatment.</abstract>

BACKGROUND. Smell disorders may be classified in quantitative and qualitative. The literature shows that the main causes of odour disorders, both qualitative and quantitative, are due to aging, viral infections and tumors of the upper respiratory tract, craniocerebral trauma, neurodegenerative diseases of the nervous system, drug use or exposure to various toxic substances. Total laryngectomy and oncologic treatment causes smell disorders.OBJECTIVE. The aim of this study is to evaluate the aspects related to the patient’s smell disorders after total laryngectomy, during the oncological treatment represented by radiotherapy.MATERIAL AND METHODS. A prospective observational study was performed on a group of 52 patients, over a period of one year (2016-2017), who benefited from total laryngectomy and who underwent oncological treatment, represented by radiotherapy. Patients were evaluated before starting radiotherapy and during radiotherapy sessions. All patients underwent quantitative and qualitative smell assessment.RESULTS. At the end of week 7 of radiotherapy, none of the patients was considered normosmic, 10 patients were considered to be suffering from hyposmia and 42 from anosmia. Statistically significant changes in the quantitative determination of odour occurred in the fourth week, respectively at the radiation dose of 40Gy. Qualitative odour assessment in this study showed a statistically significant decrease starting with the fifth week of radiotherapy, respectively with a radiation dose of 50Gy.CONCLUSION. Radiation therapy has a major impact on the quality of life of patients with laryngeal cancer, which has the lowest scores at the beginning and end of the treatment.

Evaluation of smell disorders after radiotherapy in patients with laryngeal neoplasm

“George Emil Palade” University of Medicine

Pharmacy, Science and Technology, Otorhinolaringologic Department

“Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy

Romanian Journal of Rhinology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

BACKGROUND. Smell disorders may be classified in quantitative and qualitative. The literature shows that the main causes of odour disorders, both qualitative...

Evaluation of smell disorders after radiotherapy in patients with laryngeal neoplasm

Published Online: Jul 20, 2020

Page range: 85 - 89

Received: May 31, 2020

Accepted: Jun 15, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/rjr-2020-0018

Keywords
smell disorders, laryngeal cancer, total laryngectomy, radiotherapy, anosmia, hyposmia

© 2020 Mozes Huba et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Evaluation of smell disorders after radiotherapy in patients with laryngeal neoplasm

Published Online: Jul 20, 2020

Page range: 85 - 89

Received: May 31, 2020

Accepted: Jun 15, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/rjr-2020-0018

Keywordssmell disorders, laryngeal cancer, total laryngectomy, radiotherapy, anosmia, hyposmia

© 2020 Mozes Huba et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
smell disorders, laryngeal cancer, total laryngectomy, radiotherapy, anosmia, hyposmia