[Pretreatment dysphagia in patients with advanced head and neck cancer].
OBJECTIVE
To define swallowing dysfunctions in head and neck cancer patients with respect to tumor site.


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 chi 2 and 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 hypopharyngeal neoplasms showed severe pre-treatment swallowing dysfunctional and oral and oropharyngeal neoplasms showed severe post-treatment swallowing dysfunction.
Martín Villares
C
C
Servicio de ORL, Hospital de Bierzo, La Dehesa, s/n. 24400 Ponferrada, León. cmvillares@hotmail.com
Tapia Risueño
M
M
San Román Carbajo
J
J
Fernández Pello
M E
ME
Domínguez Calvo
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000150:complications*; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D010610:Pharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*