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16-05-2024 | Dysphagia | Original Article

Dysphagia in Head and Neck Radiotherapy: The Influence of Pharyngeal Constrictor Anatomy and Dosimetry

Authors: Owen Paetkau, Sarah Weppler, Jaime Kwok, Harvey C. Quon, Wendy Smith, Ekaterina Tchistiakova, Charles Kirkby

Published in: Dysphagia

Abstract

The goal of this study was to identify which anatomical and dosimetric changes correlated with late patient-reported dysphagia throughout the course of head and neck chemo-radiotherapy treatment. The patient cohort (n = 64) considered oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal patients treated with curative intent, exhibiting no baseline dysphagia with a follow-up time greater than one year. Patients completed the MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory during a follow-up visit. A composite score was measured ranging from 20 to 100, with a low score indicating a high symptom burden; a score ≤60 indicated patient-reported dysphagia. The pharyngeal (PCM) and cricopharyngeal constrictor muscles (CPM) were contoured on a planning CT image and adapted to weekly cone-beam CT anatomy using deformable image registration and dose was accumulated using weighted dose-volume histogram curves. The PCM and CPM were examined for volume, thickness, and dosimetric changes across treatment with the results correlated to symptom group. Anatomical evaluation indicated the PCM thickness increased more during treatment for patients with dysphagia, with base of C2 vertebrae (p = 0.04) and superior-inferior middle PCM (p = 0.01) thicknesses indicating a 1.0–1.5 mm increase. The planned and delivered mean dose and DVH metrics to PCM and CPM were found to be within random error measured for the dose accumulation, indicating delivered and planned dose are equivalent. The PCM and CPM organs were found to lie approximately 5 mm closer to high dose gradients in patients exhibiting dysphagia. The volume, thickness, and high dose gradient metrics may be useful metrics to identify patients at risk of late patient-reported dysphagia.

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Title: Dysphagia in Head and Neck Radiotherapy: The Influence of Pharyngeal Constrictor Anatomy and Dosimetry
Authors: Owen Paetkau
Sarah Weppler
Jaime Kwok
Harvey C. Quon
Wendy Smith
Ekaterina Tchistiakova
Charles Kirkby
Publication date: 16-05-2024
Publisher: Springer US
Keywords: Dysphagia
Dysphagia
Dysphagia
Radiotherapy
Computed Tomography
Computed Tomography
Published in: Dysphagia
Print ISSN: 0179-051X
Electronic ISSN: 1432-0460
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00455-024-10705-2

ERS Congress 2024

Springer Medicine

Dysphagia in Head and Neck Radiotherapy: The Influence of Pharyngeal Constrictor Anatomy and Dosimetry

Abstract

ERS Congress 2024

Springer Medicine

Abstract

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