Long-term study of vocal dysfunction and quality of life in patients with non-laryngeal head and neck cancers post chemo-radiation therapy: Results of prospective analysis

Background: vocal problems caused by chemo-radiation therapy (crt) can affect a patient’s quality of life (qol) for a long time. this study aims to follow up and evaluate the voice of persian-speaking patients with non-laryngeal head and neck cancer up to eighteen months after treatment. material and methods: this prospective study was conducted to assess the voice of disease-free patients with various head and neck malignancies treated with crt. the voice assessment was conducted at four points: before, at the end of treatment, and six and eighteen months after treatment. at the time of the last assessment, there were only 30 patients with an average age of 48.86±14.89 and in the range of (18-75) years. for a comprehensive assessment, acoustic, expert-rater, and subjective evaluation of voice was conducted. the pearson correlation coefficient for all acoustic parameters, subgroups of the persian vhi-30 questionnaire, and perceptual measurements were computed. the effect of essential factors on patient qol associated with the voice in different groups was examined. results: all acoustic parameters, other than fundamental and habitual frequencies, subjective and perceptual data values increased significantly (p < 0.001) during the treatment and decreased at the last assessment. none of the values have returned to pre-treatment levels. there was a significant relationship between some acoustic parameters, persian vhi-30 questionnaire values, and g on the grbas scale. chemotherapy and smoking were influential factors in patients' qol. conclusions: vocal problems and reduced voice related qol in patients treated with crt may persist for years after treatment.