Late laryngeal dysfunction in head and neck cancer survivors

OBJECTIVES: Head and neck cancer (HNC) survivorship issues are areas of increasing research interest. Laryngeal dysfunction in HNC patients is particularly important given the importance of the larynx in voice, swallowing, and airway protection. The objective of our study is to characterize late laryngeal dysfunction in a cohort of long‐term HNC survivors. METHODS: HNC survivors who were at least 2 years post‐treatment were recruited prospectively for standard collection of videolaryngoscopy findings, videofluoroscopic swallowing studies, and assessment of clinical outcomes. Descriptive statistics were performed and clinical presentation and outcomes were compared between survivors >10 years and <10 years post‐treatment. Additional factor analysis to correlate clinical outcomes with clinical variables was performed. RESULTS: Thirty participants were analyzed with a mean age of 66 years. The majority were male (80%) patients treated for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (67%). Within the cohort, 43% underwent primary chemoradiation therapy and had 13% radiation alone. Common presenting symptoms included swallowing dysfunction (83%), voice change (67%), and chronic cough (17%). Laryngeal findings on video laryngoscopy include vocal fold motion abnormalities (VFMA) in over half of participants (61%) and mucosal changes in 20%. A weak correlation was found between time since treatment and laryngeal dysfunction (r = .182, p = .34), and no correlation was found between age, sex, time since treatment, or primary site and the presence or absence of VFMA, G‐tube status, or tracheostomy‐tube status. CONCLUSION: Late laryngeal dysfunction in HNC survivors contributes to significant morbidity, is difficult to treat, and remains static decades after treatment for their original cancer. LAY SUMMARY: The voice‐box, or the larynx, plays an important role in voice, swallowing and airway protection. It is particularly vulnerable to radiation‐related damage and changes. This study demonstrates the sequelae of long‐term damage of the larynx in head and cancer survivors. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.