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Objective assessment of swallowing function in head and neck cancer patients
Author(s) -
Muz Jaroslaw,
Mathog Robert H.,
Hamlet Sandra L.,
Davis Lawrence P.,
Kling George A.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
head and neck
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.012
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1097-0347
pISSN - 1043-3074
DOI - 10.1002/hed.2880130106
Subject(s) - swallowing , head and neck cancer , medicine , head and neck , physical medicine and rehabilitation , cancer , dentistry , surgery
Swallowing function was evaluated with scintigraphy in 37 patients with head and neck cancer. The patients were examined before and during the course of either surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiotherapy. A total of 118 scintigraphic studies were performed. Scintigraphic results of bolus flow and aspiration were correlated with clinical findings. Both scintigraphic and clinical studies indicated a worsened swallowing function in 12 patients. These same studies indicated improvement of swallowing in another 13 patients. In 11 patients, both studies revealed either no apparent change or mixed changes in swallowing function after the course of therapy. In only 1 patient was there disagreement between the scintigraphic and clinical assessment of swallowing function. It is our opinion that scintigraphy is a useful method for objective assessment of swallowing function during and after the course of treatment of head and neck cancer patients.