Quality of life and decisional regret after total glossectomy with laryngectomy: A single-institution case series

Chineme Amechi; Lauren Ottenstein; Ayannah Lang; Tekiah McClary; Anna M Avinger; Andre J Burnham; Margie D Dixon; Rebecca D Pentz; Nicole C Schmitt

doi:10.1016/j.oraloncology.2023.106434

Quality of life and decisional regret after total glossectomy with laryngectomy: A single-institution case series

Oral Oncol. 2023 Jul:142:106434. doi: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2023.106434. Epub 2023 May 22.

Authors

Chineme Amechi¹, Lauren Ottenstein², Ayannah Lang¹, Tekiah McClary³, Anna M Avinger⁴, Andre J Burnham⁵, Margie D Dixon¹, Rebecca D Pentz¹, Nicole C Schmitt⁶

Affiliations

¹ Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.
² Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States; Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States.
³ South University Orlando Campus, Orlando, FL, United States.
⁴ Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States.
⁵ Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States.
⁶ Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States; Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States. Electronic address: nicole.cherie.schmitt@emory.edu.

PMID: 37220704
DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2023.106434

Abstract

Objectives: Total glossectomy with total laryngectomy is a life-altering procedure reserved for extensive or recurrent head and neck cancer. There is minimal literature describing quality of life in these patients, partly due to high mortality rates.

Methods: Patients who had undergone a total glossectomy with laryngectomy between 2014 and 2021 at our institution, identified by chart review, were eligible. Four validated scales were used to assess quality of life and satisfaction with decision.

Results: Four of five survivors agreed to participate. The average scores for the Satisfaction with Decision scale and the University of Washington Quality of Life scale were 4.4/5 and 70/100, respectively, showing that patients were satisfied with their decision and quality of life. However, the average function score for the UW-QoL scale, 36.4/100, highlights negative effects of the procedure on mood, oral function, and activity.

Conclusions: This case description provides a picture of patients' quality of life after total glossectomy with laryngectomy, which may be useful for counseling future patients.

Keywords: Decisional regret; Quality of life; Total glossectomy; Total laryngectomy.

Publication types

Case Reports
Letter

MeSH terms

Emotions
Glossectomy*
Humans
Laryngectomy*
Neoplasm Recurrence, Local
Quality of Life