Aspiration Risk and Postoperative Radiation for Head and Neck Cancer

Nam P. Nguyen Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Cheryl Frank Audiology and Speech Pathology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA

Candace C. Moltz Audiology and Speech Pathology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA

Carrie Millar Audiology and Speech Pathology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA

Herbert J. Smith Radiology, and Radiation Oncology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA

Suresh Dutta Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA

Alan Alfieri Department of Radiation Oncology, Albert Einstein University, New YorkUSA

Howard Lee VA North Texas Health Care System, Dallas, Texas, USA

Paul Vos Department of Biostatistics, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA

Ulf Karlsson Department of Radiation Oncology, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA

Ly M. Nguyen University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

Sabah Sallah Hematology Research Division, Novo Nordisk, Athens, Greece

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Abstract

The aim of the study was to assess the aspiration risk following postoperative radiation for head and neck cancer. Thirty-seven patients had Modified Barium Swallow before and following treatment. Dysphagia severity was graded from 1 to 7. Before treatment there were sixteen grade 1, seventeen grade 2, three grade 3 and one grade 5. Following postoperative radiation, two patients had grade 1, eleven patients had grade 2, thirteen patients had grade 3, four patients had grade 4, four patients had grade 5, one patients had grade 6, and two patients had grade 7. Nineteen percent (7/37) of the patients developed aspiration (grade 5–7). Aspiration is life-threatening and may develop for all tumor sites and stages.

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Aspiration Risk and Postoperative Radiation for Head and Neck Cancer

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