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01-12-2014 | Original Article

Functional Swallowing Outcomes in Nasopharyngeal Cancer Treated with IMRT at 6 to 42 months Post-Radiotherapy

Authors: Margaret Patterson, Rowena Brain, Ronald Chin, David Veivers, Michael Back, Andrew Wignall, Thomas Eade

Published in: Dysphagia | Issue 6/2014

Abstract

We sought to evaluate the swallowing function of 18 patients surviving nasopharyngeal cancer, who had been treated using an intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) protocol designed to minimise functional impairment. We compared the outcomes of a patient-reported oral function score with fiberoptic endoscopic examination of swallow (FEES), Australian Therapy Outcome Measures (AusTOMs) and a measure of trismus. While all patients returned to a fully oral diet, there was ongoing swallow dysfunction characterised by bolus residue and delay, but no aspiration. Dysphagia was of mild or moderate severity on all measures, generally because of the need for texture modification, impaired bolus transit or dysgeusia. There was xerostomia on self-reported measurement combined with reports of behaviours adaptive to xerostomia on AusTOMs; however, salivary functioning was less impaired on FEES. There was no trismus in this cohort. Our cohort lacked the morbidity experienced by cohorts reported in earlier studies, potentially due to the use of IMRT.

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Title: Functional Swallowing Outcomes in Nasopharyngeal Cancer Treated with IMRT at 6 to 42 months Post-Radiotherapy
Authors: Margaret Patterson
Rowena Brain
Ronald Chin
David Veivers
Michael Back
Andrew Wignall
Thomas Eade
Publication date: 01-12-2014
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Dysphagia / Issue 6/2014
Print ISSN: 0179-051X
Electronic ISSN: 1432-0460
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00455-014-9559-0

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Functional Swallowing Outcomes in Nasopharyngeal Cancer Treated with IMRT at 6 to 42 months Post-Radiotherapy

Abstract

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

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