| Author/Editor | Hočevar-Boltežar, Irena; Žargi, Miha | |
| Title | Voice quality after radiation therapy of early glottic cancer | |
| Type | članek | |
| Source | Radiol Oncol | |
| Vol. and No. | Letnik 31, št. 2 | |
| Publication year | 1997 | |
| Volume | str. 247-51 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Abstract | Radiation therapy is generally accepted as a successful treatment modality for early glottic cancer offering an acceptable voice quality after the treatment. In order to evaluate objectively the voice quality in irradiated patients and to eliminate the influence of decreasing voice quality as a result of normal aging, the results of the acoustic analysis of voice in 20 patients with early glottic cancer treated with radiation therapy were compared to the results of 20 age-matched volunteers. The results established worse voice quality in the irradiated group but the difference was not significant except in amplitude perturbation quotient which expresses the instability of loudness. In order to identity the factors which could influence the quality of voice after irradiation of the laryngeal carcinoma, the results of laryngoscopy and the biopsy extension, were correlated with the results of the perceptive voice evaluation and the results of acoustic voice analysis. No significant influence of the stated factors on the voice quality of the patients was established. Only the irregular glottic gap during phonation indicated to be connected with very hoarse voice. In conclusion, radiation therapy of early glottic cancer results in an abnormal, but still satisfactory voice quality when compared to the voice quality of normal age-matched speakers. The hoarseness is the results of instability of pitch and specifically the instability of amplitude (loudness). The voice quality after the treatment can be influenced by the tumor extension and localization, the sequels of excisional biopsy, and the radiation therapy or functional disorder. All the stated factors are very intermingled and are probably acting together. | |
| Descriptors | LARYNGEAL NEOPLASMS GLOTTIS VOICE QUALITY NEOPLASM STAGING VOCAL CORDS BIOPSY LARYNGOSCOPY VOICE DISORDERS |