Mukoyama and colleagues from Nagoya
University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan; assessed anxiety,
depression and quality of life in 150 patients with head and neck cancer
undergoing laryngectomy.
The surgical procedures were total
laryngectomy, pharyngo-laryngectomy and pharyngo-laryngo-oesophagectomy in 97
(65%), 41 (27%) and 12 (8%) patients, respectively. All quality of life items were
significantly worse than those of the normal population at baseline and at 3
months after surgery. However, general health, vitality, mental health and
bodily pain improved to normal levels within 1 year after surgery and were
maintained for 5 years. In this study, 35% of patients were categorized as potential
cases of depression, and 35% were potential cases of anxiety. During the
follow-up period, the proportion of patients with anxiety gradually decreased
after surgery.
The authors concluded that anxiety,
depression and quality of life in laryngectomized patients improved at one year after surgery
and were maintained throughout the 5 years of the study..
