Pre-treatment Exercises Versus Post-treatment Exercises for Dysphagia

University of Alabama at Birmingham52 enrolled

Overview

The purpose of this project is to determine if pre-treatment swallowing exercises can improve post-treatment swallowing function in patients undergoing radiation with or without chemotherapy for advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Head and Neck Cancer

Interventions

Pre-treatment swallowing exercisesOTHER

Swallowing exercises will be started pre-treatment with radiation.

Post-treatment swallowing exercises.OTHER

Patients to start swallowing exercises after completion of radiation therapy.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 19 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Stage III or IV squamous cell cancer of teh pharynx and larynx * Patients who will be receiving chemoradiation * Age 19 years of age or older * Must sign informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Prior cancer diagnosis * Metastatic disease * Cognitive Impairment

Locations (1)

UAB Division of Otolaryngology

Birmingham, Alabama, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

To test whether pre-treatment swallowing exercises compared with "usual care" (where exercises are taught post-treatment) improves quality of life in patients undergoing chemoradiation therapy for advanced head and neck cancer.

Time frame: 8 weeks, 6 months, 12 months post radiation treatment

Secondary Outcomes

To test whether pre-treatment swallowing exercises compared with usual care improves secondary outcome measures related to dysphagia in this patient population.

Time frame: 8 weeks, 6 mnths and 12 months post radiation.

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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