Abstract

MARTIN VILLARES, C. et al. Pretreatment dysphagia in advanced heat and neck cancer patients. Nutr. Hosp. [online]. 2003, vol.18, n.5, pp.238-242. ISSN 1699-5198.

Objetive: To define swallowing dysfunctions in head and neck cancer patients with respect to tumor site. Patients and methods: A consecutive cohort of 52 patients with stage III-IV head and neck cancer without prior tracheotomy or treatment were studied according to tumor site: oral cavity (n = 8), oropharynx (n = 8), hypopharynx (n = 13) and larynx (23). All patients underwent nasoendoscopy prior to treatment. Swallowing function (dysphagia, aspiration and Swallowing Performance Status Seale score) was analyzed with reference to tumor localization using χ²and Fisher exact tests. Results: Laryngeal and hypopharyngeal neoplasms neoplasms showed the most severe pre-treatment swallowing dysfunction (27% pre-treatment vs. 11% post-treatment), and oral and oropharyngeal neoplasms showed the most severe post-treatment swallowing dysfunction (6% pretreatment vs. 68% post-treatment). Aspiration and tumor localization revealed not statistically significant differences between groups. Pre-treatment dysphagia did not correlate with post-treatment dysphagia. Conclusions: Laryngeal and hipopharyngeal neoplasms showed severe pre-treatment swallowing dysfunctiona and oral and oropharyngeal neoplasms showed severe post-treatment swallowing dysfunction.

Keywords : Aspiration; Dysphagia; Head Neck Neoplams.

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