Psychosocial adjustment in patients surgically treated for laryngeal cancer

OBJECTIVE: To assess the psychosocial adjustment in 62 patients surgically treated for cancer of the head and neck. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Forty-one patients were grouped as having had radical surgery (total laryngectomy) and 21 as having had functional surgery (horizontal supraglottic laryngectomy or partial vertical surgery). The Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale-Self Report (PAIS-SR) was used for the evaluation. RESULTS., No significant differences were found between groups when global adjustment or domain adjustment was compared. Patients did not consider the permanent stoma and voice loss to be the most important determinant of quality of life. Work and family relationship were the domains with poorest adjustment. CONCLUSION: Social and medical support are important factors in improving patients' self-confidence and satisfaction, playing an important role in recovering useful phonation, psychological adjustment, and global quality of life. SIGNIFICANCE. Information collected in this way may facilitate improved rehabilitation and thus better quality of life.