Australian researchers have identified the factors most likely to influence swallowing ability after chemoradiotherapy.
The study examined 81 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck who were treated with chemotherapy or radiotherapy at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre or The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne.
It found that worse swallowing was associated with living in rural areas, ex-heavy alcohol consumption, hypopharyngeal tumour site, large (particularly T4) tumours, non-conformal radiotherapy, bilateral radiation to the pharynx and longer radiotherapy fields.
A multiple regression analysis found that poor swallowing prior to treatment was the most common predictor of swallowing outcomes, followed by high T classification, a history of heavy drinking, and non-conformal radiotherapy rather than conformal radiotherapy.
The study authors said that clinicians should use...
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