Voice outcomes following transoral laser microsurgery for early glottic squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

Introduction: Early glottic cancer may be treated with primary radiotherapy or transoral laser microsurgery with comparable survival. The choice of therapy therefore depends on patient preference after discussion of risks, benefits and alternatives. Materials and methods: All previously untreated patients undergoing transoral laser microsurgery for T1 or T2 glottic cancer at St Vincent's Hospital between July 1997 and December 2004 had their staging and demographics recorded. Surgery was categorised according to the European Laryngological Society. A voice recording was made pre-operatively then at 12 weeks post-operatively and scored by two independent speech therapists on the Oates Russell..