Quality of life before and after total laryngectomy: Results of a multicenter prospective cohort study

Background The purpose of this study was to determine what quality of life (QOL) areas improve and deteriorate during the first year after total laryngectomy and to identify predictors of these changes. Methods One hundred seventy-four patients completed the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QOL questionnaires before laryngectomy, n = 133 before discharge from hospital, n = 110 at the end of rehabilitation, and n = 86 1 year after laryngectomy. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to estimate the effect of potential predictors on QOL. Results Areas that did not recover to baseline level were physical functioning, role functioning, social functionin…