Swallowing Rehabilitation in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer Receiving Radiotherapy

Cancer of Head and Neck Clinical Trial

— ReDyOR  

Official title:

Effects of Prophylactic Swallowing Exercises on Dysphagia and Quality of Life in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer Receiving Radiotherapy: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT02900911
• Other study ID #: 2014/5707/l
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: May 2016
• Est. completion date: May 2020

Study information

• Verified date: September 2020
• Source: Parc de Salut Mar
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Head and neck cancer has a negative impact in swallowing function and quality of life. Rehabilitation has proven its usefulness after radiation therapy (RT), but some studies suggest that interventions should be initiated prior to RT sessions. This study aims to evaluate the effects of prophylactic rehabilitation on swallowing and quality of life. The study pretends to establish a preventive rehabilitative program with the target of reducing RT side effects and improve patients' quality of life.

Description:

Head and neck cancer has a negative impact in swallowing function and quality of life. Although current diagnostic and therapeutic protocols try to preserve swallowing and speaking, acute or late dysphagia as well as a poor quality of life are frequent in these patients.

Some studies have reported an improvement in swallowing function after an exercise based intervention following radiation therapy (RT), regardless the need of concomitant chemotherapy (RT-QT). Other studies focus the interest in the use of prophylactic exercises to prevent or minimize post-swallowing dysfunction.

Patients receiving RT or RT-QT refer worsening of their quality of life, especially during the first days after treatment. One study suggests that rehabilitation prior to cancer treatment could potentially improve quality of life. However, this observation should be contrasted with a randomized study.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 52
• Est. completion date: May 2020
• Est. primary completion date: April 2020
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients with advanced head and neck cancer receiving radiotherapy

Exclusion Criteria:

• Candidates to surgical treatment

• Previous head and neck cancer

• Dysphagia due to causes other than cancer

• Previous head or neck radiation therapy.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Cancer of Head and Neck
• Head and Neck Neoplasms

Intervention

Other:
• Early rehabilitation
Early swallowing exercises and respiratory muscle training: Standard swallow therapy and instructions for training submental muscles involved in swallowing function and expiratory strength starting 2 weeks before radiotherapy Expiratory/Inspiratory training: the training load is the maximum inspiratory/expiratory load defined according to patient tolerance. This load will be equivalent to 10 maximal repetitions (RM) as 10 consecutive inspirations (x 5 sessions), three times a day. All sessions will be conducted under the supervision of an expert physiotherapist/swallowing therapist. The total duration of the training program is 6 months.
• Late rehabilitation
Late swallowing exercises and respiratory muscle training: Standard swallow therapy and instructions for training submental muscles involved in swallowing function and expiratory strength starting after completing radiotherapy

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Spain	Hospital de l'Esperança	Barcelona

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Parc de Salut Mar	Asociación Española contra el Cáncer

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Spain, 

References & Publications (19)

Carroll WR, Locher JL, Canon CL, Bohannon IA, McColloch NL, Magnuson JS. Pretreatment swallowing exercises improve swallow function after chemoradiation. Laryngoscope. 2008 Jan;118(1):39-43. — View Citation

Citak E, Tulek Z. Longitudinal quality of life in Turkish patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiotherapy. Support Care Cancer. 2013 Aug;21(8):2171-83. doi: 10.1007/s00520-013-1774-y. Epub 2013 Mar 9. — View Citation

Dirix P, Abbeel S, Vanstraelen B, Hermans R, Nuyts S. Dysphagia after chemoradiotherapy for head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma: dose-effect relationships for the swallowing structures. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2009 Oct 1;75(2):385-92. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2008.11.041. Epub 2009 Jun 24. — View Citation

Hutcheson KA, Lewin JS, Barringer DA, Lisec A, Gunn GB, Moore MW, Holsinger FC. Late dysphagia after radiotherapy-based treatment of head and neck cancer. Cancer. 2012 Dec 1;118(23):5793-9. doi: 10.1002/cncr.27631. Epub 2012 May 17. — View Citation

Kotz T, Federman AD, Kao J, Milman L, Packer S, Lopez-Prieto C, Forsythe K, Genden EM. Prophylactic swallowing exercises in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing chemoradiation: a randomized trial. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2012 Apr;138(4):376-82. doi: 10.1001/archoto.2012.187. — View Citation

Kulbersh BD, Rosenthal EL, McGrew BM, Duncan RD, McColloch NL, Carroll WR, Magnuson JS. Pretreatment, preoperative swallowing exercises may improve dysphagia quality of life. Laryngoscope. 2006 Jun;116(6):883-6. — View Citation

Lazarus CL. Effects of chemoradiotherapy on voice and swallowing. Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2009 Jun;17(3):172-8. doi: 10.1097/MOO.0b013e32832af12f. Review. — View Citation

Lin PH, Hsiao TY, Chang YC, Ting LL, Chen WS, Chen SC, Wang TG. Effects of functional electrical stimulation on dysphagia caused by radiation therapy in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Support Care Cancer. 2011 Jan;19(1):91-9. doi: 10.1007/s00520-009-0792-2. Epub 2009 Nov 29. — View Citation

Long YB, Wu XP. A randomized controlled trail of combination therapy of neuromuscular electrical stimulation and balloon dilatation in the treatment of radiation-induced dysphagia in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients. Disabil Rehabil. 2013 Mar;35(6):450-4. doi: 10.3109/09638288.2012.697250. Epub 2012 Jul 4. — View Citation

Murphy BA, Gilbert J. Dysphagia in head and neck cancer patients treated with radiation: assessment, sequelae, and rehabilitation. Semin Radiat Oncol. 2009 Jan;19(1):35-42. doi: 10.1016/j.semradonc.2008.09.007. Review. — View Citation

Platteaux N, Dirix P, Dejaeger E, Nuyts S. Dysphagia in head and neck cancer patients treated with chemoradiotherapy. Dysphagia. 2010 Jun;25(2):139-52. doi: 10.1007/s00455-009-9247-7. Epub 2009 Aug 27. Review. — View Citation

Quer M, León X, Orús C, Recher K, Gras JR. [Analysis of 2,500 squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck]. Acta Otorrinolaringol Esp. 2001 Apr;52(3):201-5. Spanish. — View Citation

Rathod S, Gupta T, Ghosh-Laskar S, Murthy V, Budrukkar A, Agarwal J. Quality-of-life (QOL) outcomes in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) compared to three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT): evidence from a prospective randomized study. Oral Oncol. 2013 Jun;49(6):634-42. doi: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2013.02.013. Epub 2013 Apr 4. — View Citation

Roe JW, Ashforth KM. Prophylactic swallowing exercises for patients receiving radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2011 Jun;19(3):144-9. doi: 10.1097/MOO.0b013e3283457616. Review. — View Citation

Russi EG, Corvò R, Merlotti A, Alterio D, Franco P, Pergolizzi S, De Sanctis V, Ruo Redda MG, Ricardi U, Paiar F, Bonomo P, Merlano MC, Zurlo V, Chiesa F, Sanguineti G, Bernier J. Swallowing dysfunction in head and neck cancer patients treated by radiotherapy: review and recommendations of the supportive task group of the Italian Association of Radiation Oncology. Cancer Treat Rev. 2012 Dec;38(8):1033-49. doi: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2012.04.002. Epub 2012 Apr 27. Review. — View Citation

Stenson KM, MacCracken E, List M, Haraf DJ, Brockstein B, Weichselbaum R, Vokes EE. Swallowing function in patients with head and neck cancer prior to treatment. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2000 Mar;126(3):371-7. — View Citation

Tang Y, Shen Q, Wang Y, Lu K, Wang Y, Peng Y. A randomized prospective study of rehabilitation therapy in the treatment of radiation-induced dysphagia and trismus. Strahlenther Onkol. 2011 Jan;187(1):39-44. doi: 10.1007/s00066-010-2151-0. Epub 2010 Dec 10. — View Citation

Tedla M, Valach M, Carrau RL, Varga I, Profant M, Mráz P, Weismann P. Impact of radiotherapy on laryngeal intrinsic muscles. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2012 Mar;269(3):953-8. doi: 10.1007/s00405-011-1686-8. Epub 2011 Jul 8. — View Citation

Wall LR, Ward EC, Cartmill B, Hill AJ. Physiological changes to the swallowing mechanism following (chemo)radiotherapy for head and neck cancer: a systematic review. Dysphagia. 2013 Dec;28(4):481-493. Review. — View Citation

* Note: There are 19 references in all — Click here to view all references

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Change in dysphagia severity at three months post radiotherapy	8-point Penetration Aspiration Scale: scores of 1-2 indicate normal swallowing, 3-5 reflect penetration, and >6, aspiration	2 weeks before beginning radiotherapy, and 3 months after completing radiotherapy
Primary	Change in quality of life at three months post radiotherapy	Head & Neck Cancer 35 (HN35)	2 weeks before beginning radiotherapy and 3 months after completing radiotherapy
Secondary	Change in dysphagia security signs at three months post radiotherapy	Security signs (tone of voice, coughing during or after eating, or desaturation of more than 3% compared to baseline pulse oximetry) assessed with the Volume Viscosity Swallow Test	2 weeks before beginning radiotherapy and 3 months after completing radiotherapy
Secondary	Change in lingual Force at three months post radiotherapy	Lingual Force: maximum isometric tongue pressure of three peak isometric tongue pressure scores assessed with the IOPI system.	2 weeks before beginning radiotherapy and 3 months after completing radiotherapy