Supplementary Material for: Comparison of Quality of Life among Patients with Oro-Hypopharyngeal Cancer after Tonsillectomy and Panscopy Using Transoral Robotic Surgery: A Pilot Study

Studies have shown lower treatment-related morbidity when using transoral robotic surgery (TORS) compared to conventional surgery. Patients investigated for oro- and hypopharyngeal cancer (T1, T2) were compared concerning quality of life (QoL) after tonsillectomy and TORS using validated QoL questionnaires: QLQ-C30 and QLQ-H&N35. The patients treated with TORS showed a higher pain score and thus also a higher need for painkillers, whereas they had lower values on self-assessment of anxiety/depression using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale score. The pre- and postoperative information given did not meet the expectations of the patients treated with conventional surgery. The present data show advantages of the TORS technique from the patients’ perspective. Even if patients treated with TORS are in need of more painkilling treatment, they cope better with the long-term effects of treatment, as judged by self-assessment of anxiety and depression.

已有研究证实，与传统手术相比，经口机器人手术（Transoral Robotic Surgery, TORS）的治疗相关并发症发生率更低。本研究针对确诊为口咽部及下咽癌（T1、T2期）的患者，分别采用扁桃体切除术与经口机器人手术治疗后，通过经过权威验证的生活质量（Quality of Life, QoL）问卷QLQ-C30与QLQ-H&N35评估两组患者的生活质量并开展对比分析。结果显示，接受经口机器人手术治疗的患者疼痛评分更高，因此对镇痛药物的需求也更大；但通过医院焦虑抑郁量表（Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, HADS）进行自我评估的焦虑与抑郁水平均更低。传统手术组患者对术前及术后告知的医疗信息满意度未达预期。本研究数据从患者视角出发，证实了经口机器人手术技术的临床优势。尽管经口机器人手术患者需要更多镇痛治疗，但从焦虑与抑郁的自我评估结果来看，他们对治疗的长期不良反应耐受情况更佳。