Long-term quality of life evaluation after laser microsurgery with or without adjuvant radiotherapy for laryngeal carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated long-term quality of life of patients successfully treated with either laser-assisted microsurgery alone or combined with adjuvant radiotherapy for laryngeal carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 53 patients who were treated by laser surgery and 16 patients who were treated by laser surgery combined with adjuvant radiotherapy. Quality of life was evaluated with two validated questionnaires: the global EORTC QLQ-C30 and the head and neck specific EORTC QLQ-H&N35. The mean follow-up was 59 months (range 10 to 111 months). RESULTS: Patients receiving adjuvant radiotherapy showed a significantly lower level of global health status. Surprisingly, the two treatment groups showed close similarities with respect to symptoms specific to the head and neck region. The most frequent complaints were coughing and speech problems in both groups. On the other hand, patients with a follow-up duration of more than or less than five years did not differ significantly with regard to the global health status. CONCLUSION: Adjuvant radiotherapy must be selectively utilized in patients treated with laser surgery for laryngeal carcinoma.