A screening questionnaire for voice problems after treatment of early glottic cancer

Purpose: After treatment for early glottic cancer, a considerable number of patients end up with voice problems interfering with daily life activities. A 5-item screening questionnaire was designed for detection of voice impairment. The purpose of this study is to assess psychometric properties of this questionnaire in clinical practice. Methods and Materials: The questionnaire was completed by 110 controls without voice complaints and 177 patients after radiotherapy or laser surgery for early glottic cancer. Results: Based on normative data of the controls, a score of 5 or less on at least 1 of the 5 questions was considered to state overall voice impairment. Reliability of the questionnaire proved to be good. Voice impairment was reported in 44% of the patients treated with radiotherapy vs. 29% of the patients treated with endoscopic laser surgery. Conclusions: The questionnaire proved to be a reliable, valid, and feasible method to detect voice impairment in daily life. The questionnaire is easy to fill in, and interpretation is straightforward. It is useful for both radiation oncologists and otorhinolaryngologists in their follow-up of patients treated for early glottic cancer.