Bioethical aspects in the treatment of advanced laryngeal cancer

Laryngeal cancer is one of the most common head and neck tumors, however, diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities allow a survival rate superior to other locations in the field of ENT cancer. In addition to maintaining a proper social inclusion and a higher quality of life, the correct management of this disease involves a doctor-patient partnership based on trust and on ethical values of medical care in order to take the most appropriate therapeutic decisions and ensuring the patient's compliance to treatment. The authors made a retrospective study on a number of 63 patients with advanced staged laryngeal neoplasms. 27 cases received a complete radio-chemotherapy treatment (CHIM-RT), while the other (36 cases) received a radiosurgical treatment (CHIR-RT). The scales of the performance status where observed using the Karnofsky and ECOG/OMS/Zubrad indicator, as well as the general health condition using the short SF 36 formula and the EORTS QL0-H&N35. We have found a higher survival rate in patients who received radio-surgical treatment, but better quality of life in those treated by radiochemotherapy. These data are useful to inform patients properly so that they are able to choose the most appropriate therapeutic option, according to information received from their doctors and their life values and principles.