A rapid access husky voice clinic: useful in diagnosing laryngeal pathology

Abstract

A new established pilot husky voice clinic with agreed referral protocols for patients at risk of developing laryngeal malignancy was audited. Thirty-four patients were seen, 41.2 per cent having abnormal findings on flexible nasendoscopy, 29.4 per cent requiring rigid endoscopy, 38.1 per cent were discharged after the initial visit. One case of early laryngeal cancer was picked up during this period from this group of patients. The data for the remaining population in Portsmouth was examined, and a further eight cases of laryngeal cancer were diagnosed in keeping with national incidences. A rapid access clinic with agreed protocols that referring practitioners adhered to, was useful for diagnosing laryngeal cancer and should meet the requirements of the government's 14-day rule.

Clinical Practice Guideline: Hoarseness (Dysphonia)

“…The usefulness of laryngoscopy for establishing the diagnosis and the benefit of early detection have led the British medical system to employ fast-track screening clinics for laryngeal cancer that mandate laryngoscopy within 14 days of suspicion of laryngeal cancer. 111,112 Fungal laryngitis from inhalers and other causes is best diagnosed with laryngoscopy and must be distinguished from malignancy. 113 Unilateral vocal fold paralysis causes breathy hoarseness and is often caused by thoracic, cervical, or brain tumors that either compress or invade the vagus nerve or its branches that innervate the larynx.…”

Cancer Diagnostic Assessment Programs: Standards for the Organization of Care in Ontario

“…The original systematic review by Gagliardi et al 12 included twenty articles that described outcomes related to specific disease-site assessment units: eleven for breast cancer 4,[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] , three for colorectal cancer 7,25,26 , and six for head-and-neck cancer [31][32][33][34][35][36] . There were seventeen case series that involved 38-3119 patients, two rcts that included 478 and 791 patients, and one case-control study that included 177 cases and 162 controls 4,7,[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][31][32][33][34][35][36] .…”

“…There were seventeen case series that involved 38-3119 patients, two rcts that included 478 and 791 patients, and one case-control study that included 177 cases and 162 controls 4,7,[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][31][32][33][34][35][36] . The update of the literature search identified 823 citations in which patient outcomes related to diagnostic assessment units were described for colorectal cancer in four studies [27][28][29][30] , head-and-neck cancer in two studies 37,38 , lung cancer in two studies 39,40 , gynecologic cancers in three studies [41][42][43] , neurologic cancers in one study 44 , lymph node cancers in one study 45 , and upper gastrointestinal cancers in one study 46 .…”

Time to Laryngoscopy for Hoarseness in Canada: Are the American Academy of Otolaryngology Guidelines Feasible?

“…23 Rapid-access clinics have allowed for evaluation within 14 days for patients with suspected laryngeal cancer. [23][24][25] With a health care delivery structure similar to the UK's National Health Service, Canadian centers may benefit from a similar strategy.…”