Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Voice quality assessment after laryngeal cancer radiotherapeutic treatment at initial stages

  • Research Articles
  • Published:
Clinical & Translational Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction

The voice quality resulting from the radiotherapeutic treatment is a relevant factor to take into consideration at the time of evaluating the results. In this study the results of an objective assessment in relation to the vocal function and the patients' voice self-evaluation are presented.

Materials and methods

18 glottic tumour patients, at initial stage, treated with radiotherapy, were studied. There were made an objective analysis on the voice and a study on the perceived quality both by the examiners and the patients.

Results

p Normal voices were observed in the 11%, slight dysphonias in 44.4%, moderate dysphonias in 27.8% and severe dysphonias in 16.7% of the cases. Spectrographically, the 18 samples were classified as Grade I one case (5.5%), Grade II 7 (38.8%), Grade III 5 (27.7%) and Grade IV 5 (27.7%). The questionnaire

Voice Handicap Index

Which was completed by the patients themselves, gave out results values very close to normality.

Conclusions

The patients voice acoustic analysis of the series shows the damage thereof after the radiotherapeutic treatment is minimum as well as the handicap feeling of the T1 laryngeal carcinoma patients treated with radiotherapy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Smith JC, Jonson JT, Myers EN. Management and outcome of early glottic carcinoma. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2002; 126:356–64.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Núñez Batalla F, Corte Santos P, Sequeiros Santiago G, Señaris González B, Suárez Nieto C. Evaluación Perceptual de la Disfonía: Correlación con los Parámetros A cústicos y Fiabilidad. Acta Otorrinolaringológica Española. 2004;55:282–7.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Behrman A, Abramson AL, Myssiorek D. A comparison of radiation-induced and presbylaryngeal disphonia. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2001;125:193–200.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Stoeckli SJ, Guidicelli M, Schneider A, Huber A, Schmid S. Quality of life after treatment for laryngeal carcinoma. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2001;258:96–9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Fung K, Yoo J, Leeper HA, Bogue B, et al. Effects of head and neck radiation therapy on vocal function. J Otolaryngol. 2001;30:153–9.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Beahrs OH, Henson DE, Hutter RVP, Myers V. American Joint Committee on Cancer: Manual for Staging of cancer. Third edition. Philadelphia: JB Lippincott Company; 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Yanagihara N. Significance of harmonic changes and noise components in hoarseness. J Speech Hear Res. 1967;10:531–41.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Fex S. Perceptual evaluation. J Voice. 1992; 6:155–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Jacobson BH, Jonson A, Grywalski C. The Voice Handicap Index (VHI): Development and validation. American Journal of Speech-Lenguage Pathology. 1997;6:66–70.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Hocevar-Boltezar I, Zargi M, Honocodeevar-Boltezar I. Voice quality after radiation therapy for early glottic cancer. Arch Otolaryngol Head neck Surg. 2000;126:1097–100.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. van der Torn M, Verdonck-de Leeuw IM, Kuik DJ, Mahieu HF. Communicative suitability of voice following radiotherapy for T1 glottic carcinoma: Testing the reliability of a rating instrument. J Voice. 2002;16:398–407.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Verdonck-de Leeuw IM, Hilgers FJM, Zeus RB, et al. Multidimensional assessment of voice characteristics after radiotherapy for early glottic cancer. Laryngoscope. 1999;109:241–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Delsooehe KG, Zink I, Lejaegere M, Bastian RW. Voice quality after narrow-margin laser cordectomy compared with laryngeal irradiation. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1999;121:528–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Tamura E, Kitahara S, Ogura M, Cono N. Voice quality alter laser surgery or radiotherapy for T1a glottic carcinoma. Laryngoscope. 2003;113:910–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Morgan DAL, Robinson HF, Marsh L. Vocal quality 10 years after radioterapy for early glottic cancer. Clin Radiol. 1988;39:295–6.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Behrman A, Sulica L, He T. Factors predicting patient perception of dysphonia caused by benign vocal fold Lesions. Laryngoscope. 2004;114:1695–700.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Servicio de Otorrinolaringología, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Spain

    Jesús Caminero Cueva & Ramón Alonso Pantiga

  2. Servicio de Oncología Radioterápica y Otorrinolaringología, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Celestino Villamil, s/n, 33006, Asturias, Spain

    Blanca Señaris González, Aurora López Llames, Faustino Núñez Batalla & Carlos Suárez Nieto

Authors
  1. Jesús Caminero Cueva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Blanca Señaris González
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Aurora López Llames
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Faustino Núñez Batalla
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ramón Alonso Pantiga
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Carlos Suárez Nieto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jesús Caminero Cueva.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cueva, J.C., González, B.S., Llames, A.L. et al. Voice quality assessment after laryngeal cancer radiotherapeutic treatment at initial stages. Clin Transl Oncol 8, 284–289 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02664940

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02664940

Key words

Search

Navigation