title: Evaluation of swallowing by Sydney Swallow Questionnaire (SSQ) in oral and oropharyngeal cancer patients treated with primary surgery.
abstract: This work aimed at evaluating patients' swallowing functions by a newly validated swallow-specific questionnaire, the Sydney Swallow Questionnaire (SSQ), in a cohort of oral and oropharyngeal cancer patients. Mean/median SSQ scores were calculated and compared with study variables using the Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test. The mean composite SSQ scores (SD) for the base of tongue, oral tongue, and tonsillar cancer patients were 663.8 (382.8), 456.2 (407.6), and 283.0 (243.1), respectively (p = 0.005); for advanced vs. early T stage disease they were 918.1 (319.5) vs. 344.8 (292.1) (p ≤ 0.001); for patients <60 years vs. ≥60 years they were 549.3 (415.1) vs. 314.0 (247.3) (p = 0.02); and for patients with reconstruction vs. without reconstruction they were 676.5 (410.5) vs. 331.9 (286.5) (p = 0.002). SSQ is a useful tool for evaluation of swallowing in head and neck cancer patients. Site of cancer, T stage, patient's age, and reconstruction directly affect post-treatment swallow outcome.
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Unit, Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK. raghav_dwivedi@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: Raghav C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Dwivedi
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: St Rose
authors.forename: Edward J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Chisholm
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Georgalas
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bisase
authors.forename: Furrat
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Amen
authors.forename: Cyrus J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Kerawala
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: Christopher M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Nutting
authors.forename: Peter H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Rhys-Evans
authors.forename: Kevin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Harrington
authors.forename: Rehan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kazi
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology*; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology