Morbidity of supraomohyoidal and modified radical neck dissection combined with radiotherapy for head and neck cancer: a prospective longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to show the investigated impact of supraomohyoidal neck dissection and modified radical neck dissection, both combined with radiotherapy, on cervical range of motion (CROM), mouth opening, swallowing, lymphedema, and shoulder function. METHODS: One hundred eight patients who had neck dissections and 98 patients who had non-neck dissections were evaluated in a prospective, nonselective, longitudinal cohort study by a physiotherapist and a speech-language pathologist (SLP) before the start of radiotherapy and up to 12 months after treatment. RESULTS: The incidence of shoulder disability after neck dissection was 18%. Supraomohyoidal neck dissection had no significant effect on the evaluated parameters at any time point. Modified radical neck dissection significantly reduced CROM and mouth opening 2 months after treatment, but after 12 months only cervical rotation was still significantly reduced. CONCLUSION: In patients treated with external beam radiation (EBRT), modified radical neck dissection induced additional morbidity regarding CROM but not regarding mouth opening, swallowing, and lymphedema 1 year after treatment. Both modified radical neck dissection and supraomohyoidal neck dissection induced shoulder disability.

The Dysphagia Short Questionnaire: an instrument for evaluation of dysphagia: a validation study with 12 months' follow-up after anterior cervical spine surgery.

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective clinical validation study of questionnaire to assess dysphagia. OBJECTIVE: To test validity and reliability of Dysphagia Short Questionnaire (DSQ), and also to determine levels of dysphagia over time after anterior cervical spine surgery (ACSS). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Dysphagia is common after ACSS but reports on the incidence vary widely between 1% and 79%, indicating an evaluation problem. Several tools for evaluation of dysphagia exist but common features are that they are cumbersome to use and usually are designed for patients with neurological or malignant diseases in the neck region. Others are not validated, for example, the Bazaz score. There is, thus, a need for a more adapted tool to evaluate dysphagia in patients undergoing ACSS. METHODS: The DSQ was constructed in collaboration with a group of ear-nose-and-throat specialists. In a first validation study, 45 patients with stationary dysphagia for various reasons completed the DSQ twice 2 weeks apart, the M.D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI), the Bazaz score, and a quality-of-life score, the EQ-5D. To evaluate the utility of the DSQ, a second validation study was performed, where 111 subjects undergoing ACSS for degenerative disk disease completed the form preoperatively and at 4 weeks, 3 months, and 1 year after surgery. RESULTS: In the first study, the DSQ correlated to MDADI (r = 0.59) and showed good reproducibility. The Bazaz score did not correlate to the DSQ, the MDADI, or the EQ-5 D. In the second study, dysphagia was present in a few patients already preoperatively. At 4 weeks, 85% of the patients reported dysphagia. The level had dropped significantly at 3 months and had returned to baseline levels at 1 year. CONCLUSION: We consider the DSQ to be a validated tool for the assessment of dysphagia in ACSS patients. Dysphagia after ACSS for cervical spondylosis is common but the symptoms on a group level are not very severe and are also temporary.

Early self-care rehabilitation of head and neck cancer patients.

CONCLUSIONS: No positive effects of early preventive rehabilitation could be identified. The results do not contradict the proposition that rehabilitation based on self-care can be effective but it is important to establish evidence-based training programs and identify proper instruments for selection of patients and evaluation of intervention. OBJECTIVES: Patients with head and neck cancer suffer from functional impairments due to intense treatment. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of an experimental early preventive rehabilitation using hard, objective end points in a nonselective, longitudinal, prospective cohort study. METHODS: In all, 190 patients were included in the program and received instructions for training before the start of treatment with the aim of reducing swallowing problems and reducing mouth opening and stiffness in the neck. A control group of 184 patients was recruited. RESULTS: There was no difference in weight loss and 2-year survival between the two groups. No positive effects concerning functional impairments were found in patient-reported outcome measures.