Long-term swallowing after chemoradiotherapy: Prospective study of functional and patient-reported changes over time

Abstract

Background This prospective study evaluated long-term swallowing outcomes and associated risk factors 5 years postchemoradiotherapy for head and neck cancer. Methods Following an earlier study of 69 patients, 39 patients had patient-reported activity and quality of life (QOL) data collected. Twenty-one patients also underwent a videofluoroscopy swallowing study (VFSS). Results Between 6 months and 5 years posttreatment, patient-reported activity for solid foods significantly improved (p <.001), returning to pretreatment levels for 74% of patients. On VFSS, swallowing function for semisolids declined, with 5 patients demonstrating a clinically significant deterioration. Factors that predicted..