What is it about?
Swallowing difficulties are common side effects experienced by patients undergoing treatment for head and neck cancer. It is important to continue eating and drinking throughout treatment, if possible, and/or perform swallowing exercises to maintain swallow function.
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Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Our study highlights the importance of developing a swallowing exercise program for patients living in rural areas who may have more limited access to care. At the end of treatment, we found that patients who participating in the swallowing program were better able to maintain food or liquid intake by mouth compared to patients who did not participate in the program.
Perspectives
We hope this article highlights importance of swallowing exercises and the impact of a multidisciplinary team in treating head and neck cancer.
Karen Choi
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Development of a Dysphagia Pathway Program for Head and Neck Cancer in a Rural Patient Population, Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, May 2024, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA),
DOI: 10.1044/2024_persp-23-00222.
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