Is speech language pathologist evaluation necessary in the nonoperative treatment of head and neck cancer?

摘要

Dysphagia is a common sequelae of head and neck cancer (HNCA) and its treatment. While surgery is expected to result in predictable long-term alterations in swallowing function, the increased use of nonoperative treatment for organ preservation in recent years has led to a growing awareness of dysphagia associated with chemoradiation (CRT) secondary to radiation fibrosis and changes in innervation of the muscles of swallowing. Dysphagia can lead to poor nutrition/hydration, pulmonary complications, gastrostomy tube placement, and substandard quality of life. Evaluation and management of dysphagia is typically the purview of the speech-language pathologist (SLP).