Page 98 - Functional impairment and cues for rehabilitation of head and neck cancer patients -

Chapter 4
Table 1 Baseline characteristics of patients evaluable at ten-year plus follow-up (n = 14).
Number of patients (%)
Gender Male Female
Age at baseline Median (range)
11 (79)
3 (21)
58 (39–66) 8 (57)
4 (29)
2 (14)
3 (21)
7 (50)
4 (29)
0 (0)
1 (7)
5 (36)
5 (36)
3 (21)
0 (0)
6 (43)
8 (57)
5 (36)
9 (64)
Tumor site
T classification
N classification
AJCC stage
Rehabilitation
Oral cavity/oropharynx Larynx/hypopharynx Nasopharynx
T1
T2
T3
T4
N0
N1
N2
N3
II
III
IV
Without TheraBite With TheraBite
96
Abbreviations: AJCC stage= American Joint Committee on Cancer stage 7th edition, RT = radiotherapy
Swallowing related outcomes
Swallowing related outcomes at six- and ten-year plus follow-up, respectively, are presented in Table 2. Pharyngeal dysphagia based on DIGEST grades increased in 5 out of 10 patients with videofluoroscopy available, due to a decreased efficiency (n = 3), decreased safety (n = 1), or both (n = 1). Similar to the last follow-up, none of the currently evaluable patients were feeding tube dependent, or required a modified diet (FOIS < 7). None of the patients had had a pneumonia since last follow-up, but, as mentioned above, one of the currently non-evaluable patients, a 76-year old male, had died of pneumonia of unknown etiology after the last follow- up at six years, in which case aspiration as etiology obviously cannot be excluded. This patient had no penetration or aspiration on videofluoroscopy at six-year follow-up. The number of patients who perceived difficulty with oral transport of solids increased between six- and ten- year plus follow-up from 2 to 7 patients. For thick liquids this increased from 1 to 3 patients, and for thin liquids from 0 to 2 patients.