Dysphagia in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Treated with Chemoradiotherapy

Abstract

Dysphagia is a very common complaint of head and neck cancer patients and can exist before, during, and after chemoradiotherapy. It leads to nutritional deficiency, weight loss, and prolonged unnatural feeding and also has a major potential risk for aspiration. This has a significant negative impact on the patient's entire quality of life. Because treatment of dysphagia in this setting is rarely effective, prevention is paramount. Several strategies have been developed to reduce dysphagia. These include swallowing exercises, treatment modification techniques such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy, selective delineation of elective nodes, reducing xerostomia by parotid-sparing radiotherapy, and adding of radioprotectors. However, more research is needed to further decrease the incidence of dysphagia and improve quality of life.

Effects of palatal augmentation prosthesis in oropharyngeal dysphagia in Chilean patients with tongue cancer: Cases report

“…(5,6,13) Negative effects that surgery, ChT, RT, and multimodality treatment protocols have on tongue function have been documented. (2)(3)(4)(5)(6)9,12) The results of the current cases report show that PAP was effective as a complement therapy of dysphagia in post-tongue cancer patients. PAP positively affected oral and pharyngeal phases of swallowing in all patients.…”

“…(1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6) In addition, there are consequences on the physical and mental condition of patients and it reduces their quality of life (QoL). (7,8) Patients with oral and oropharyngeal cancer are usually treated with surgery, radiotherapy (RT), and chemotherapy (ChT), administered alone or in combination.…”

“…(7,8) Patients with oral and oropharyngeal cancer are usually treated with surgery, radiotherapy (RT), and chemotherapy (ChT), administered alone or in combination. (2)(3)(4)(5)(6)9) The main post-radiotherapy sequelae are mucositis, xerostomia, dysgeusia, hoarseness, fibrosis and osteonecrosis. (1,2) Difficulties with speech, mastication and swallowing are also produced.…”

“…(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)9) The main post-radiotherapy sequelae are mucositis, xerostomia, dysgeusia, hoarseness, fibrosis and osteonecrosis. (1,2) Difficulties with speech, mastication and swallowing are also produced. (1,(3)(4)(5)(6) Chemotherapeutic agents for head and neck cancer (HNC) can impact the ability of patients to swallow thus causing nutritional problems.…”

Clinical observation and quality of life in terms of nasal sinusitis after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma: long-term results from different nasal irrigation techniques

“…6 Although the survival rate is significantly increased, the incidence of odynophagia, difficulty in opening mouth, xerostomia, stuffy nose and other symptoms is high after radiotherapy. 6,7 Nasal sinusitis (NS) occurs, frequently after radiotherapy, and often results in stuffy nose, dry nose and other symptoms, which seriously reduce the long-term quality of life (QOL) of patients with NPC. The occurrence of NS after radiotherapy in patients with NPC has been rarely reported, and systematic research and follow-up are absent.…”