Radiation and/or chemotherapy for head and neck cancer can cause difficulty with swallowing (dysphagia). Dysphagia can lead to food or liquid going “down the wrong pipe” and into your airway or lungs (aspiration). Functional and safe swallowing requires coordination of multiple nerves and muscles.
In the Survivorship Clinic, a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) may assess your swallowing function with a Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES). A flexible endoscopic is passed through the nose to view the muscles and structures of swallowing. Using blue-dyed foods and liquids, your swallowing safety and efficiency will be assessed.
After the exam, the SLP will discuss your results and provide recommendations to help your swallowing function. We also provide swallowing exercises to help rehabilitate your swallowing at whatever point you are in your survivorship journey.
For patients anticipating the start of chemoradiation treatment, our SLPs are here to support you throughout treatment. We provide services in-person and via teletherapy (MyUPMC app). Our goals are to optimize and maintain swallowing function throughout treatment, avoid food and liquids entering your lungs (aspiration), and avoid drastic weight loss and dehydration. Research shows that early intervention leads to better outcomes in maintaining an oral diet and quality of life.
Before starting treatment, you will be given exercises for pre-conditioning, and a baseline swallow evaluation (FEES) will be completed. Swallowing changes are anticipated around weeks 3 or 4 of chemoradiation treatment, but those who eat and exercise often do better when treatment is over.
We will schedule you for a follow-up appointment in the Survivorship Clinic 1-month following the completion of chemoradiation therapy. A repeat swallowing evaluation may be performed at that time to modify your swallowing strategies and to provide new goals as you adjust to the new changes to your swallowing function.