[Psychological responses of patients after partial or total glossectomy due to carcinoma of the oral cavity].

The necessity of partial or total glossectomy due to carcinoma of the oral cavity means that the patient suffers from severe and life-threatening disease and the medical team aims at eliminating that threat. The major goal of surgical intervention is to stop the growth of the cancer. However, it can be associated with considerable injury of the ill person. After the operation, the patient goes through the rehabilitation process during which he or she may experience suffering and various limitations resulting from injury. The patient also tries to adjust to the new situation in life. It is the time for the patient when the threat of death is no longer present or at least it has been averted and now the patient must challenge the process of adaptation associated with the loss of the tongue. The rehabilitation undertaken by the patient with the assistance of the medical team has two major goals. The first goal is to restore the function to the greatest possible extent, that is to learn to swallow and speak again. The second aim is psychological and sociological adaptation. In order to bring the patient into the process of acquiring new skills necessary for the realisation of basic life functions, as well as those needed for the fulfilment of substitutive forms of self-realisation and the achievement of satisfaction in life, the medical personnel should aim at understanding psychological and sociological conditions of the patient which may facilitate or impede patient's rehabilitation process and adaptation to illness. The examination and analysis of psychological dimensions characteristic of people struggling with cancer helps in understanding the patient, but first of all in learning individual experiences, problems and ways of coping with disability resulting from the particular form of injury. Research on the quality of life of patients after partial or total glossectomy is mostly concerned with functional aspects of the loss of the tongue and less attention is being paid to the subjective perspective of a patient. Although most patients suffer from significant functional impairments in swallowing, sensation and speech, as well as from difficulties in adaptation resulting from disability, some research shows that good quality of life can be maintained in patients who are highly motivated, have emotional support from their family and friends, maintain close contact with their physician, and have access to a rehabilitation team consisting of specialists of various disciplines.