Open AccessPatients with Head-and-Neck Cancer: Dysphagia and Affective Symptoms
Author(s) -
Iris Krebbers,
Sorina R. Simon,
Walmari Pilz,
Bernd Kremer,
Björn Winkens,
Laura W. J. Baijens
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
folia phoniatrica et logopaedica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.327
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1421-9972
pISSN - 1021-7762
DOI - 10.1159/000508367
Subject(s) - dysphagia , anxiety , medicine , swallowing , depression (economics) , head and neck cancer , hospital anxiety and depression scale , cancer , distress , physical therapy , surgery , clinical psychology , psychiatry , economics , macroeconomics
Objective: Affective symptoms are common in patients with head-and-neck cancer. This study determined the association between the presence of aspiration and symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as patient characteristics in patients with head-and-neck cancer and dysphagia. Methods: Eighty-four patients with head-and-neck cancer and dysphagia completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and underwent a standardized fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing. Linear regression analysis was performed to explore the associations. Results: Fifty-two (61.9%) patients presented clinically relevant symptoms of anxiety or depression. Forty-eight (57.1%) patients presented with aspiration during fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing. A significant negative association was found between the presence of aspiration and affective (anxiety and depression) symptoms ( p = 0.04). Male patients presented significantly lower symptom scores of anxiety compared to females ( p = 0.04). Conclusions: Clinically relevant affective symptoms were present in more than half of all patients with head-and-neck cancer and dysphagia. Surprisingly, a significant negative association was found between the presence of aspiration and these affective symptoms. Gender was also significantly associated with affective symptoms. These results suggest that there is a need for further investigation into the impact of psychological distress on patients with head-and-neck cancer and dysphagia.