title: Correlation between swallowing-related quality of life and videofluoroscopy after head and neck cancer treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The use of symptom-specific questionnaires on head and neck cancer (HNC), together with objective swallowing measures, can be sensitive to changes in quality of life (QoL) resulting from dysphagia, but this tool is not broadly used as a complement to clinical evaluations.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the correlation between the M. D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) questionnaire and videofluoroscopy (VF) in patients treated for head and neck cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective study with review of clinical data, VF and MDADI results. The study sample was composed of adult patients (>18 y.o.) treated for tumors at the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx, regardless of treatment type. For the VF examination, swallowing of 5 and 20 ml of nectar-thick liquids were considered. The Mann-Whitney nonparametric test was applied to evaluate the correlations between the MDADI and VF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-nine patients, mostly men (87.18%), with mean age of 61 years participated in the study. Most patients (16) presented oral cavity tumors (41.03%). Twenty-two patients were in advanced clinical stage (IV). Surgery was the most prevalent treatment (41.03%). Approximately half of the participants (20) received oral feeding. The total mean (TM) on the MDADI was 63.36. Comparison between VF and MDADI data showed significant correlation between TM, emotional domain (ED), and physical domain (PD) with penetration during the swallowing of 5 ml. Penetration and aspiration with 20 ml determined worse QoL on the global (p=0.018 and p=0.0053), emotional (p=0.0012 and p=0.027) and physical (p=0.0002 and p=0.0051) domains, and TM (p=0.0023 and p=0.0299), respectively. The presence of stasis did not determine worse QoL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients treated for HNC who presented penetration/aspiration showed worse QoL on the emotional and physical domains of the MDADI.
authors.affiliation: A.C. Camargo Cancer Center - São Paulo (SP), Brasil.
authors.forename: Margareth Souza
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.affiliation: A.C. Camargo Cancer Center - São Paulo (SP), Brasil.
authors.forename: Aline Nogueira
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: A.C. Camargo Cancer Center - São Paulo (SP), Brasil.
authors.forename: Renata Lígia Vieira
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Guedes
authors.affiliation: A.C. Camargo Cancer Center - São Paulo (SP), Brasil.
authors.forename: Camila Barbosa
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Barcelos
authors.affiliation: A.C. Camargo Cancer Center - São Paulo (SP), Brasil.
authors.forename: Luciana Dall'Agnol Siqueira
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Slobodticov
authors.affiliation: A.C. Camargo Cancer Center - São Paulo (SP), Brasil.
authors.forename: Simone Aparecida Claudino
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.affiliation: A.C. Camargo Cancer Center - São Paulo (SP), Brasil.
authors.forename: Ana Lúcia Noronha
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Francisco
authors.affiliation: A.C. Camargo Cancer Center - São Paulo (SP), Brasil.
authors.forename: Elisabete Carrara de
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Angelis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult