TY - JOUR
T1 - Voice Quality and Laryngeal Findings in Patients With Suspected Lung Cancer
AU - Davis, Ruth J.
AU - Messing, Barbara
AU - Cohen, Neri M.
AU - Akst, Lee M.
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding source: This project was funded by the John R. Saunders, MD Research Award from the Milton J. Dance Endowment.
Publisher Copyright:
© American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2021.
PY - 2022/1
Y1 - 2022/1
N2 - Objective: To describe laryngeal findings and voice quality in patients with suspected lung cancer, relative to voice quality and possible laryngeal pathology. Study Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Tertiary care center. Methods: Patients with known or suspected lung cancer were approached before planned thoracic surgery, and they completed acoustic analysis, the Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL) questionnaire, and stroboscopy. The prevalence of dysphonia, V-RQOL and Cepstral Spectral Index of Dysphonia (CSID) scores, and laryngeal findings were examined and compared between patients ultimately found to have lung cancer and those without cancer. Results: Sixty-one patients (45 cancer, 16 noncancer) were analyzed. Patients with cancer were older than those without (mean ± SD, 72.3 ± 9.94 vs 62.6 ± 9.30 years; P =.001). Otherwise, the distribution of stroboscopy findings, acoustic measures, and self-reported voice handicap were similar between the cancer and noncancer cohorts. Prior to surgery, no patients had vocal cord paralysis or obvious neoplasm, though 4 (6.56%) had leukoplakia and 28 (45.9%) had vocal fold movement asymmetry on stroboscopy. Overall, 21 patients (35.0%) had average CSID scores >19, and 13 (21.7%) had CSID scores >24; however, only 4 self-described their voice as not working as it should, and only 2 had a V-RQOL score <85. Conclusion: Patients with suspected lung cancer have moderate dysphonia on acoustic measures, though self-reported impact on quality of life is low. While leukoplakia was seen in 4 patients, obvious neoplasm and occult paralysis were not seen in this cohort. Together, these findings suggest that patients with suspected lung cancer should be assessed for subjective voice dysfunction, but routine laryngeal screening may otherwise be unnecessary.
AB - Objective: To describe laryngeal findings and voice quality in patients with suspected lung cancer, relative to voice quality and possible laryngeal pathology. Study Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Tertiary care center. Methods: Patients with known or suspected lung cancer were approached before planned thoracic surgery, and they completed acoustic analysis, the Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL) questionnaire, and stroboscopy. The prevalence of dysphonia, V-RQOL and Cepstral Spectral Index of Dysphonia (CSID) scores, and laryngeal findings were examined and compared between patients ultimately found to have lung cancer and those without cancer. Results: Sixty-one patients (45 cancer, 16 noncancer) were analyzed. Patients with cancer were older than those without (mean ± SD, 72.3 ± 9.94 vs 62.6 ± 9.30 years; P =.001). Otherwise, the distribution of stroboscopy findings, acoustic measures, and self-reported voice handicap were similar between the cancer and noncancer cohorts. Prior to surgery, no patients had vocal cord paralysis or obvious neoplasm, though 4 (6.56%) had leukoplakia and 28 (45.9%) had vocal fold movement asymmetry on stroboscopy. Overall, 21 patients (35.0%) had average CSID scores >19, and 13 (21.7%) had CSID scores >24; however, only 4 self-described their voice as not working as it should, and only 2 had a V-RQOL score <85. Conclusion: Patients with suspected lung cancer have moderate dysphonia on acoustic measures, though self-reported impact on quality of life is low. While leukoplakia was seen in 4 patients, obvious neoplasm and occult paralysis were not seen in this cohort. Together, these findings suggest that patients with suspected lung cancer should be assessed for subjective voice dysfunction, but routine laryngeal screening may otherwise be unnecessary.
KW - leukoplakia
KW - lung cancer
KW - videolaryngostroboscopy
KW - voice
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85104804316&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85104804316&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/01945998211008382
DO - 10.1177/01945998211008382
M3 - Article
C2 - 33874792
AN - SCOPUS:85104804316
SN - 0194-5998
VL - 166
SP - 133
EP - 138
JO - Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (United States)
JF - Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (United States)
IS - 1
ER -