CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Laryngorhinootologie 2019; 98(S 02): S72
DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-1686000
Abstracts
Oncology

Changes in the swallowing capacity of head-and-neck cancer patients during radio(chemo)therapy

C Hey
1   Phoniatrie und Pädaudiologie, Uniklinikum Marburg, Marburg
,
E Zaretsky
1   Phoniatrie und Pädaudiologie, Uniklinikum Marburg, Marburg
,
P Pluschinski
1   Phoniatrie und Pädaudiologie, Uniklinikum Marburg, Marburg
› Institutsangaben
 

Introduction:

Dysphagia belongs to the most frequent consequences of the head-and-neck tumors. However, very few studies were published on the development of the swallowing capacity during the radio(chemo)therapy. This study aimed to evaluate aspiration and limitations of oral intake, including the possible need for further intervention (NFI), during radio(chemo)therapy (RCT).

Methods:

In the years 2015 – 2018, 83 head-and-neck cancer patients (20% female, age median 64 years, UICC stages II-IV) were included in the study. The patients' swallowing functions were assessed by FEES® diagnostics thrice: before (T1), 1 (T2) and 3 months (T3) after RCT onset. The severity of penetration was determined by Rosenbek's scale (PAS), the limitation of oral intake by Crary's FOIS scale, and NFI was determined under consideration of both previous scales. Changes in these three scales between three test sessions taken together were assessed by the Friedman test, pair-by-pair comparisons by the Wilcoxon test.

Results:

Before therapy onset, 37% of patients demonstrated NFI, 15% aspirated. In 11% of cases silent aspiration was found. Limitations of oral intake were identified in 25% of the sample. After the therapy onset, all three scales demonstrated much worse results. However, these improved significantly before T3. Changes in PAS, FOIS, and NFI between three test sessions were significant (ps < 0.05). According to pair-by-pair analyses, FOIS and NFI scales changed significantly between T1 and T2 as well as between T2 and T3, PAS only between T2 and T3.

Conclusions:

The swallowing capacity of head-and-neck cancer patients, quantified by aspiration, oral intake and need for further intervention, changes significantly during RCT and, thus, needs special attention.



Publikationsverlauf

Publikationsdatum:
23. April 2019 (online)

© 2019. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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