Speech and swallow rehabilitation following partial glossectomy: A systematic review

Abstract

Purpose: Tongue cancer is known to negatively affect both speech and swallowing function; however this is the first review to report speech-language pathology (SLP) intervention for both functions following partial glossectomy.

Method: Using a PRISMA approach, systematic screening of nine databases was undertaken. Original studies reporting SLP rehabilitation for speech and/or swallowing dysfunction with participants following partial glossectomy as primary cancer treatment were included.

Result: These studies are discussed in terms of SLP assessment and intervention trends as well as quality according to current research method standards (levels of evidence, Pedro-P, SCED) in order to determine suitability for guiding current clinical practice.

Conclusion: Publications were few (n = 7) and mostly of non-experimental design. This review highlights the gap in evidence and questions the rationale of current SLP rehabilitation following partial glossectomy.

Keywords::

• Tongue cancer
• speech-language pathology
• speech
• swallowing
• rehabilitation

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Clare Eastwood and Claire Layfield for their reliability and quality ratings. Ballard was supported by Australian Research Council Future Fellowship FT120100355.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.