title: Swallowing performance and tube feeding status in patients treated with parotid-sparing intensity-modulated radiotherapy for head and neck cancer.
abstract: The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the swallowing performance of patients with head and neck cancer treated with parotid-sparing intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).
  
  
  
  Sixty-two patients were recruited. Data were collected before and up to 12 months after treatment. Measures included the Performance Status Scale for head and neck cancer (PSS-HN Normalcy of Diet and Eating in Public subscales), tube feeding status, and 100 mL water swallow test (WST) volume and capacity scores.
  
  
  
  There was a significant reduction in PSS-HN and WST scores from baseline to 3 months (p < .001). Significant improvements were observed up to 12 months on the PSS-HN. Swallowing volume and capacity scores recovered but did not reach statistical significance. Tube feeding was not required in 47% of the patients.
  
  
  
  IMRT significantly impacts on swallowing performance, although there is a trend for improvement up to 12 months after treatment. Our data support a case-by-case approach to tube feeding. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E1436-E1444, 2016.
authors.affiliation: Department of Speech and Language Therapy, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.|The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK.
authors.forename: Justin W G
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Roe
authors.affiliation: Speech Pathology, School of Allied Health, Australian National Catholic University, Brisbane Campus, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Paul N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Carding
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.|Institute of Cellular Medicine, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Drinnan
authors.affiliation: The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK.|Head and Neck Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Kevin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Harrington
authors.affiliation: The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK.|Head and Neck Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Christopher M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Nutting
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003679:Deglutition; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059351:Organ Sparing Treatments; D010306:Parotid Gland; D011446:Prospective Studies; D050397:Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: head and neck cancer; intensity-modulated radiotherapy; swallowing; tube feeding