BackgroundReduced tongue strength is an important factor contributing to early and late dysphagia in head and neck cancer patients previously treated with chemoradiotherapy. The evidence is growing that tongue strengthening exercises can improve tongue strength and swallowing function in both healthy and dysphagic subjects. However, little is known about the impact of specific features of an exercise protocol for tongue strength on the actual outcome (strength or swallowing function). Previous research originating in the fields of sports medicine and physical rehabilitation shows that the degree of exercise load is an influential factor for increasing muscle strength in the limb skeletal muscles. Since the tongue is considered a muscular hydrostat, it remains to be proven whether the same concepts will apply.Methods/DesignThis ongoing randomized controlled trial in chemoradiotherapy-treated patients with head and neck cancer investigates the effect of three tongue strengthening exercise protocols, with different degrees of exercise load, on tongue strength and swallowing. At enrollment, 51 patients whose dysphagia is primarily related to reduced tongue strength are randomly assigned to a training schedule of 60, 80, or 100 % of their maximal tongue strength. Patients are treated three times a week for 8 weeks, executing 120 repetitions of the assigned exercise once per training day. Exercise load is progressively adjusted every 2 weeks. Patients are evaluated before, during and after treatment by means of tongue strength measurements, fiber-optic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing and quality-of-life questionnaires.DiscussionThis randomized controlled trial is the first to systematically investigate the effect of different exercise loads in tongue strengthening exercise protocols. The results will allow the development of more efficacious protocols.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN14447678.

Background: Radiation-associated-dysphagia is a serious side effect of radiotherapy (RT) for head and neck cancer (HNC). Methods: Seventy-six patients had a weekly prospective follow-up from baseline until one week post-RT. Combined mixed model analysis (n = 43) determined the evolution of self-perceived swallowing function, isometric tongue strength (MIP), tongue strength (TS) during swallowing (Pswal), and quality of life (QoL) in these patients during RT.

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Feasibility of TSMs declines during CRT and is influenced by mucositis and pain. For the majority of subjects, TSMs were feasible within the first 4 weeks, which provides a window of scientific and clinical opportunities in this patient population.

A 71-year-old man with advanced vocal cord carcinoma presented with severe airway obstruction. Therapeutic anticoagulation with enoxaparin complicated management. Failure of an oral awake bronchoscopic intubation was rescued by passing a guidewire through the working channel and threading an Arndt exchange catheter into the trachea under videoscopic vision. Ventilation with the Ventrain device lasting 40 minutes (15 L/min, inspiration/expiration 1:1, 15 breaths/min), during IV anesthesia with muscle paralysis, resulted in excellent blood gas values until placement of the tracheal cannula. This case report highlights the effectiveness of a novel ventilation technique that should be considered as back-up when bronchoscopic intubation fails.