TY - JOUR
T1 - Dysphagia, trismus and speech impairment following radiation-based treatment for advanced stage oropharyngeal carcinoma: a one-year prospective evaluation
AU - Karsten, Rebecca T.
AU - Chargi, Najiba
AU - van der Molen, Lisette
AU - van Son, Rob J. J. H.
AU - de Bree, Remco
AU - Al-Mamgani, Abrahim
AU - de Boer, Jan P.
AU - Hilgers, Frans J. M.
AU - van den Brekel, Michiel W. M.
AU - Smeele, Ludi E.
AU - Stuiver, Martijn M.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - OBJECTIVE: The objective was to assess swallowing, mouth opening and speech function during the first year after radiation-based treatment (RT(+)) after introduction of a dedicated preventive rehabilitation program for stage III-IV oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPC).METHODS: Swallowing, mouth opening and speech function were collected before and at six- and twelve-month follow-up after RT(+) for OPC as part of ongoing prospective assessments by speech-language pathologists .RESULTS: Objective and patient-perceived function deteriorated until 6 months and improved until 12 months after treatment, but did not return to baseline levels with 25%, 20% and 58% of the patients with objective dysphagia, trismus and speech problems, respectively. Feeding tube dependency and pneumonia prevalence was low.CONCLUSION: Despite successful implementation, a substantial proportion of patients still experience functional limitations after RT(+) for OPC, suggesting room for improvement of the current rehabilitation program. Pretreatment sarcopenia seems associated with worse functional outcomes and might be a relevant new target for rehabilitation strategies.
AB - OBJECTIVE: The objective was to assess swallowing, mouth opening and speech function during the first year after radiation-based treatment (RT(+)) after introduction of a dedicated preventive rehabilitation program for stage III-IV oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPC).METHODS: Swallowing, mouth opening and speech function were collected before and at six- and twelve-month follow-up after RT(+) for OPC as part of ongoing prospective assessments by speech-language pathologists .RESULTS: Objective and patient-perceived function deteriorated until 6 months and improved until 12 months after treatment, but did not return to baseline levels with 25%, 20% and 58% of the patients with objective dysphagia, trismus and speech problems, respectively. Feeding tube dependency and pneumonia prevalence was low.CONCLUSION: Despite successful implementation, a substantial proportion of patients still experience functional limitations after RT(+) for OPC, suggesting room for improvement of the current rehabilitation program. Pretreatment sarcopenia seems associated with worse functional outcomes and might be a relevant new target for rehabilitation strategies.
KW - Oropharyngeal carcinoma
KW - Chemoradiotherapy
KW - Radiotherapy
KW - Dysphagia
KW - Trismus
KW - Speech
KW - Sarcopenia
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85106725515&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00405-021-06870-x
DO - 10.1007/s00405-021-06870-x
M3 - Article
C2 - 34043065
SN - 0937-4477
VL - 279
SP - 1003
EP - 1027
JO - European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology and Head & Neck
JF - European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology and Head & Neck
ER -