Quality of Life in Patients Treated for Tongue and/or Jaw Neoplasia Before and After Speech Therapy

Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre30 enrolled

Overview

This study aims to verify the impact of four speech therapy sessions on the Quality of Life of patients treated for malignant tongue and/or jaw cancer, using as measure specific questionnaires of speech and swallowing. The hypothesis is that after treatment with exercises and speech therapy guidance, patients will present better indicators on Quality of Life related to speech and swallowing.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Tongue Cancer Jaw Cancer Oral Cancer Intelligibility, Speech

Interventions

Speech-language guidance for speech enhancement and on food management in terms of consistency, volumes, utensils and temperature, beyond the care for safe and efficient swallowing.

Speech therapy exercises for swallowingOTHER

Use of lip exercises and facial muscles, laryngeal elevation maneuver and airway protection technique, 5 repetitions 3 times a day for a month.

Speech therapy exercises for speechOTHER

Use of over-articulation technique and glottal firmness exercise, 5 repetitions 3 times a day for a month.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Over 18 Years * Tongue and/or Jaw Neoplasm * Submitted to surgical treatment Exclusion Criteria: * Under 18 Years * Cognitive impairment or deficits in language comprehension * Previous speech therapy intervention * Recurrence or active disease * Death during the intervention

Locations (1)

Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre

Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Changes in Quality of Life Scores related to swallowing

To measure the changes in Quality of Life related to swallowing it was used the questionnaire Dysphagia Handicap Index (DHI)

Time frame: 1 month

Changes in Quality of Life Scores related to speech

To measure the changes in Quality of Life related to speech it was used the questionnaire Speech Handicap Index (SHI)

Time frame: 1 month

Secondary Outcomes

Changes in Dysphagia Classification

To measure the changes in Dysphagia classification it was used the Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing, exam that evaluate the functionability of swallow. These exams were presented to three judges (speech therapists) that in agreement classified the degree of dysphagia

Time frame: 1 month

Changes in Speech Intelligibility Classification

To measure the changes in Speech Intelligibility it was used speech recordings that were analysed by three judges (speech therapists) that in agreement classified the degree of speech intelligibility

Time frame: 1 month

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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