Health-Related Quality-of-Life Outcomes after Transoral Robotic Surgery for T1 and T2 Supraglottic Laryngeal Carcinoma Compared to the Transcervical Open Supraglottic Approach.

Introduction: This prospective controlled study evaluated and compared health-related quality of life (HRQOL), after transoral robotic supraglottic laryngectomy (TORSGL) versus transcervical open supraglottic laryngectomy (TCOSGL) in patients with T1 and T2 supraglottic laryngeal carcinoma (SLC).

Methods: The TORSGL group comprised 14 patients, and the TCOSGL group comprised 13 patients. All 27 patients completed the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer 30-item core quality-of-life questionnaire version 3.0 (EORTC QLQ-C30), the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer head-and-neck cancer-specific module (EORTC QLQ-H&N35), before treatment and during the early and the late postoperative periods.

Results: The present prospective study demonstrated the near-term postoperative HRQOL of patients with T1 or T2 SLC treated with TORSGL (Group A) or TCOSGL (Group B). On comparison of EORTC QLQ-C30 data for the two groups in the early postoperative period, all functional subscale scores and global health status scores were statistically significantly lower (all p < 0.05) in Group A than in Group B and in the late postoperative period, other than the cognitive function score (p = 0.450), all functional subscale scores and global health status scores were statistically significantly lower (all p < 0.05) in Group A than in Group B. On comparison of the EORTC QLQ-H&N35 data for the two groups in the early postoperative period, except for the teeth problems scale score (p = 0.061), all symptom scale scores were statistically significantly lower in Group A than in Group B (all p < 0.05) and in the late postoperative period, the speech, social eating, social contact, and coughing scale scores were statistically significantly lower (p = 0,0215, p = 0.021, p = 0.01, p = 0.011, respectively) in Group A than in Group B. HRQOL parameters recovered in the late postoperative period in both groups; recovery was better in Group A.

Discussion/conclusion: This study suggested that TORSGL may provide patients with a better HRQOL than those TCOSGL, especially in the early period, but also in the late period.