ABSTRACT
Purpose:
to describe the hospital care provided to patients with laryngeal cancer in the Northeast of Brazil and the possibilities of surgical intervention and speech rehabilitation funded by Brazil's unified health system (SUS).
Methods:
this is a descriptive epidemiological study, which relied on secondary data obtained by searching the DATASUS database for information referring to the period between January 2008 and December 2012.
Results:
the study showed an increase in the number of cases of laryngeal cancer over the years, a predominance of male patients, and a larger number of hospitalizations; it also evidenced that the partial laryngectomy is the most frequent medical procedure, and that the state of Pernambuco has the largest number of speech therapists associated with the SUS.
Conclusion:
the provision of hospital care to patients with laryngeal cancer contemplates strategies such as surgical procedures and speech rehabilitation. This care should include aspects associated with disease prevention, as health information conveyed by means of educational programs may contribute to the early diagnosis and treatment of the illness.
Keywords:
Laryngeal Neoplasms; Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences; Health Care Delivery
