Premium
The effect of head and neck radiation therapy on voice quality
Author(s) -
Hoyt David J.,
Lettinga James W.,
Leopold Kenneth A.,
Fisher Samuel R.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1288/00005537-199205000-00001
Subject(s) - medicine , radiation therapy , head and neck , head and neck squamous cell carcinoma , audiology , head and neck cancer , radiology , surgery
Twenty‐five patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck who received radiation therapy as their only form of treatment underwent a computer‐assisted voice analysis before, and 6 months following treatment. Those with early laryngeal tumors had a significant improvement in intelligibility ( P = .07), percent of sound voiced ( P = .04), and sound perturbation. Those with nonlaryngeal tumors had no change in any measured parameters. Head and neck radiation therapy can significantly improve the voice quality of patients with laryngeal tumors, while having a minimal effect on the voice quality of those with nonlaryngeal tumors.