Functional outcomes after radiotherapy for early glottic cancer

摘要

This paper discusses the current evidence for functional outcomes following radiotherapy treatment for early glottic cancer and the role of speech pathology intervention. Limited data exists for either voice or swallowing outcomes for these patients and even less evidence was found detailing speech therapy treatment outcomes after radiotherapy. The limited research reports improvement in voice quality over time to at least two years. It has been shown that it is possible to collect both subjective and objective voice quality data along with quality of life information, and this can be applied pre treatment and at post treatment intervals. We also report on our local clinical experience with this patient group, including unpublished swallowing outcome data. Ongoing standardised collection of voice and swallowing data will continue to add to the body of knowledge in this area and may define the role, if any, of active voice therapy for this population.