[Quality of life of patients with malignant tumors of the head and neck area with special reference to laryngectomy patients]

Abstract

Background: Quality of life is an important factor for patients with cancer in the head and neck region. This factor has not often been investigated in such patients.

Methods: A series of 201 patients with head and neck cancer answered a questionnaire concerning quality of life in general. In addition various parameters of quality of life were rated by an observer such as the Karnofsky scale, the WHO-status and the Spitzer quality of life index.

Results: The patients were subdivided into 3 groups, 101 patients with laryngeal cancer, 70 with pharyngeal cancer and 30 others ENT-cancer patients. Patients with cancer of the pharynx had more physical problems. In addition the patients were in different stages of their tumor disease. The patients with cancer in UICC I/II had a better health and quality of life than UICC III/IV. 75% of the whole population spoke about their quality of life as good and better. A similar tendency of quality of life was found in the groups of laryngeal cancer. The indices for health and quality of life in the patients were strongly correlated to the Karnofsky scale, the WHO-status and the Spitzer quality of life index.

Conclusions: The study suggests that it is necessary to measure quality of life variables in head and neck cancer patients. All of the different methods are important for the measurement of quality of life.