gms | German Medical Science

78th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

16.05. - 20.05.2007, Munich

Functional outcome after induction radio-/chemotherapy in patients with advanced laryngeal and hypopharyngeal carcinomas

Meeting Abstract

  • Verena Zeier - HNO-Klinik, Würzburg, Germany
  • corresponding author Christiane Völter - HNO-Klinik, Würzburg, Germany
  • Alessandro Relic - Clinic of Otorhino-laryngology, Hietzing, Austria
  • Wafaa Shehata-Dieler - HNO-Klinik, Würzburg, Germany
  • Leo Pfreundner - Department of Oncology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
  • Florian Hoppe - Clinic of Otorhinolaryngology, Oldenburg, Germany
  • Rudolf Hagen - HNO-Klinik, Würzburg, Germany

German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. 78th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. Munich, 16.-20.05.2007. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2007. Doc07hno049

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/hno2007/07hno049.shtml

Published: August 8, 2007

© 2007 Zeier et al.
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Outline

Text

Introduction: Since 1996 patients with advanced laryngeal or hypopharyngeal cancer eligible for total laryngectomie have been treated with organ preservation with paclitaxel/cisplatin induction chemotherapy and CT-based 3D radiotherapy. The aim of this study was to further analyse the functional outcome concerning the swallowing and the voice function of these patients.

Material and Methods: 20 out of 62 subjects with larynx preservation (12 patients with hypopharyngeal and 8 with larynx carcinomas) were enrolled in the study. Changes in the anatomic structures as well as the phonatory and swallowing function were documented by using videofluoroscopic examination. In addition the German version of the voice handicap index (VHI) as well as an auditory voice description (RBH-scale), an acoustic voice analysis with the lingWAVES Voice field program and the Göttinger hoarseness diagram® were used.

Results: Parenteral nutrition was required in three out of twenty patients because of severe swallowing complaints. The remaining patients showed retention in 57% and penetration in 21%, but no sign of aspiration. Most of the patients (75%) rated themselves to be only mild or moderate handicapped with regard to the quality of their voice quality. However, objective measurement showed unremarkable voices (H 0-1) in five subjects; nine showed a pathological voice (R 1.8 B 1H 2.2 on average).

Conclusion: Although the presented data are satisfactory they have to be evaluated critically as the analysed patients represent a selection of the total study group.