Managing Dysphagia in Head and Neck Cancer

Course Description

Course Description:

Cancers of the head and neck make up approximately three percent of diagnosed in the United States but have a high likelihood of resulting in early or late effect dysphagia symptoms.  Swallowing problems result from the cancer itself, but more commonly, from the treatment for the cancer – surgical resection, radiation treatment, and chemotherapy.  This course discusses those treatments and their implications for swallowing function as well as potential complications of treatment, including xerostomia, mucositis, fibrosis, and disuse atrophy. A review of the available research with this complex population provides information regarding compensatory techniques for symptom management and therapeutic interventions for maintaining and/or improving swallow function.  The role of oral/pharyngeal exercise in this population is also discussed as well as nutritional concerns and appropriate interventions.