Prevalence of swallowing and speech problems in daily life after chemoradiation for head and neck cancer based on cut-off scores of the patient-reported outcome measures SWAL-QOL and SHI

• DOI: 10.1007/s00405-015-3680-z
• Publication Date: 2015-06-13T05:33:39Z
• Authors: Rico N. Rinkel; Irma M. Verdonck-...; Patricia Doornaert; Jan Buter; Remco de Bree; Johannes A. Lange...; Neil K. Aaronson; C. René Leemans
• Keywords: Quality of life; OROPHARYNGEAL CANCER; Adult; Male; CARCINOMA; MODULATED RADIATION-THERAPY; 610; DYSPHAGIA; Speech Disorders; CHEMORADIOTHERAPY; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being; QUALITY-OF-LIFE; 616; Prevalence; Humans; Speech; Patient Reported Outcome Measures; Prospective Studies; Head and neck cancer; FUNCTIONAL OUTCOMES; Aged; Netherlands; 2. Zero hunger; Patient-reported outcomes; Chemoradiotherapy; Swallowing; CHEMOTHERAPY; Middle Aged; Deglutition; 3. Good health; Cross-Sectional Studies; Chemoradiation; Otorhinolaryngology; Head and Neck Neoplasms; CHEMO-IMRT; Quality of Life; Female; Deglutition Disorders; RADIOTHERAPY; Head and Neck

The objective of this study is to assess swallowing and speech outcome after chemoradiation therapy for head neck cancer, based on the patient-reported measures Swallowing Quality Life Questionnaire (SWAL-QOL) Speech Handicap Index (SHI), both provided with cut-off scores. This a cross-sectional study. Department Otolaryngology/Head Neck Surgery University Medical Center. Sixty patients, 6 months 5 years squamous cell carcinoma. SHI, validated in Dutch Associations were tested between independent variables (age, gender, tumor stage site, radiotherapy technique, time since treatment, comorbidity food intake). Fifty-two patients returned SWAL-QOL 47 SHI (response rate 87 78 %, respectively). problems present 79 55 respectively. Normal intake was noticed 45, 35 % had soft diet 20 tube feeding. Patients feeding reported more compared normal oral intake. Tumor subsite significantly associated (less larynx/hypopharynx oral/oropharynx). Radiation technique psychosocial treated IMRT). (to lesser extent) daily life are frequently cancer. Future prospective studies will give insight into course efficacy new radiation techniques rehabilitation programs.