Strategies for rehabilitation and outcomes in patients treated with chemoradiotherapy and radiation therapy for head and neck cancer Institutional experience and a systematic review.

Abstract

Oncologic treatments for head and neck cancer, such as radiotherapy and chemoradiation, can produce long-term impairments in swallowing function (known medically as dysphagia), which can have a significant influence on quality of life. Dysphagia brought on by radiation exposure is characterised by a wide variety of anatomical, mechanical, and neural impairments. The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of the significance of oncological rehabilitation during radiation therapy and chemoradiation in order to reduce the risk of dysphagia occurring during treatment, which ultimately results in a delay in the total amount of time spent receiving treatment (OTT).