Swallowing-related quality of life after free flap surgery due to cancer of the head and neck

Optimizing presurgical education for patients with head and neck cancer receiving laryngectomy and free flap surgery: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

There has been limited study of oncology professionals' perspectives on optimizing delivery of presurgical education for individuals with head and neck cancer (HNC). Therefore, we assessed oncology professionals' perspectives about presurgical education for laryngectomy and free flap surgeries, which have a significant impact on patients' quality of life.

METHODS

Interviews were conducted with 27 oncology professionals from an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and a community oncology setting.

RESULTS

Participants identified six recommendations to improve presurgical education: (1) establishing preoperative consultations with allied health professionals; (2) educating patients and providers on the concept of team-based care; (3) optimizing education through multimodal strategies; (4) connecting patients with other HNC surgical patients; (5) preparing caregivers for their role; and (6) educating patients on insurance navigation.

CONCLUSIONS

Study findings demonstrate gaps in the timing, content, and mode of delivery for presurgical education and suggest strategies for further evaluation in future studies.

InCISE: Instrument for Comprehensive Incisional and Surgical Evaluation

OBJECTIVE

The evaluation of healing after head and neck surgery is currently qualitative and non-standardized, limiting the quality of surgical healing assessments in clinical and research settings. We sought to develop an objective, standardized wound assessment score, and hypothesize that a reliable instrument can be developed to evaluate head and neck surgical wounds.

METHODS

A prospective cohort study was conducted in a tertiary-care, academic head and neck surgery practice. Patients undergoing head and neck surgery were enrolled. A digital photograph protocol was developed for evaluating healing surgical wounds. A panel of experts developed and refined a wound healing score and established reliability, reproducibility, internal consistency, and validity of the score.

RESULTS

InCISE: Instrument for comprehensive incisional and surgical evaluation was created. The utility of our wound healing score was assessed using classical test theory. We performed the major steps of establishing reliability in head and neck surgeons: (1) internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.81), (2) inter-observer reliability (intra-class correlation = 0.76), and (3) intra-rater reliability (intra-class correlation = 0.87), and content validity (through focus groups). Our composite measure was found to have strong internal consistency, inter-rater reliability, and intra-rater reliability. Preliminary work suggests criterion validity via associations with physical health related quality of life (SF-12).

CONCLUSION

A wound healing score for head and neck surgery, InCISE, has been developed and is reliable, reproducible, and consistent. Although content validity is present and criterion validity is suggested, work continues to establish validity in this instrument to allow for expanded clinical and research use.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

NA Laryngoscope, 133:2166-2173, 2023.

The course of swallowing problems in the first 2 years after diagnosis of head and neck cancer

INTRODUCTION

Head and neck cancer (HNC) and its treatment often negatively impact swallowing function. The aim was to investigate the course of patient-reported swallowing problems from diagnosis to 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after treatment, in relation to demographic, clinical, and lifestyle factors.

METHODS

Data were used of the Netherlands Quality of Life and Biomedical Cohort Study in head and neck cancer research (NET-QUBIC). The primary outcome measures were the subscales of the Swallowing Quality of Life Questionnaire (SWAL-QOL). Linear mixed-effects models (LMM) were conducted to investigate changes over time and associations with patient, clinical, and lifestyle parameters as assessed at baseline.

RESULTS

Data were available of 603 patients. There was a significant change over time on all subscales. Before treatment, 53% of patients reported swallowing problems. This number increased to 70% at M3 and decreased to 59% at M6, 50% at M12, and 48% at M24. Swallowing problems (i.e., longer eating duration) were more pronounced in the case of female, current smoking, weight loss prior to treatment, and stage III or IV tumor, and were more prevalent at 3 to 6 months after treatment. Especially patients with an oropharynx and oral cavity tumor, and patients receiving (C)RT following surgery or CRT only showed a longer eating duration after treatment, which did not return to baseline levels.

CONCLUSION

Half of the patients with HNC report swallowing problems before treatment. Eating duration was associated with sex, smoking, weight loss, tumor site and stage, and treatment modality, and was more pronounced 3 to 6 months after treatment.

Long-Term Swallowing Outcome and Dysphagia in Advanced Staged Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas after Radiotherapy

Objective: To evaluate the impact of radiotherapy (RT) on dysphagia and long-term swallowing outcome in patients with stage III and IV head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs). Material and Methods: Between 2005 and 2008, 189 patients with HNSCCs underwent primary or adjuvant RT in a curative setting. Long-term swallowing outcome was evaluated in 50 patients. Among them, 26 were further eligible for prospective analysis of long-term swallowing and dysphagia outcome. Medical charts were retrospectively reviewed regarding pre- and post-treatment dysphagia (3 months after last irradiation setting) as well as persisting long-term dysphagia (2019−2021). Results: Pre-treatment dysphagia was observed in 24 (48%) of 50 patients, particularly in oropharyngeal or hypopharyngeal stage III−IV tumors (OR 9.3; p = 0.003). Conversely, 46 patients (92%) complained about post-treatment dysphagic symptoms, which were more commonly seen in patients with positive neck nodes (OR 10.5; p = 0.037). The post-treatment dysphagia rate dropped from 92% to 24% (p < 0.001) during surveillance, which was significantly linked to xerostomia (OR 5.77; p = 0.019), dysgeusia (OR 9.9; p = 0.036) and free flap reconstruction (OR 6.1; p = 0.022). Conclusion: Pretreatment dysphagia is common in advanced stage HNSCCs and almost all patients complain about dysphagia at the end of RT. Importantly, applied RT protocols did not affect long-term dysphagia, which improves significantly in the majority of patients over time. Meeting Information: Preliminary results have been presented at the 65th Annual Meeting of the Austrian Society of Otorhinolaryngology, 22−26 September 2021, Austria.

Relationship between pharyngeal or esophageal reconstruction and esophageal pressure after swallowing

BACKGROUND

High-resolution manometry, which measures esophageal luminal pressure changes after swallowing, could shed more light on food-transport dynamics after pharyngeal/esophageal reconstruction. This prospective cohort study assessed the influence of two head-and-neck and esophageal tumor-resection and reconstruction approaches on esophageal pressure.

METHODS

The cohort consisted of 17 patients who underwent esophageal/pharyngeal resection/reconstruction for cancer and then participated in postoperative high-resolution manometry. Five healthy controls also underwent manometry for comparison.

RESULTS

Partial pharyngectomy with patch grafts associated with smooth and continuous esophageal/pharyngeal movement. By contrast, surgery that removed the thoracic esophagus led to complete loss of peristalsis and poor food transport.

CONCLUSIONS

High-resolution manometry effectively characterized the changes in food-transport dynamics caused by pharyngeal/esophageal resection/reconstruction. These findings suggest that continuous and smooth movement of the pharynx and esophagus is important for swallowing and high resolution manometry could be useful in patients after pharyngeal/esophageal resection/reconstruction.

[Clinicopathological characterization of children with dysphagia, family impact and health-related quality of life of their caregivers]

INTRODUCTION

Oropharyngeal dysphagia (DOF) without proper evaluation can be underdiagnosed in certain groups of the pediatric population. Meeting the needs of these patients can lead to an overload of their caregivers.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of the patients evaluated after starting a monographic DOF clinic (C-DOF) and study whether there are changes at the nutritional level, as well as the burden and impact that caregivers find on quality of life related to health (HRQOL).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Descriptive observational study of patients evaluated in a C-DOF from its start-up. To evaluate HRQOL, an ad hoc survey adapted from the Swallowing Quality of Life Questionnaire of the adult population was designed.

RESULTS

103 patients were evaluated, 85.4% presenting some neurological disease. A videofluoroscopic study was performed in 51 patients (49.5%), reporting combined alterations in both the oral and pharyngeal phases in 64.7% of them. There was a directly proportional correlation between the severity of the DOF and the presence of aspirations, as well as with the patient's motor impairment. Regarding the anthropometric evaluation, there was a trend toward improvement in weight z-score (+0.14 SD), height (+0.17 SD) and BMI (+0.16 SD). Out of 46.2% of the caregivers reported that the DOF problem interfered negatively in the basic activities of daily life. The increase in HRQOL, after the evaluation in the monographic DOF clinic, was statistically significant overall.

CONCLUSIONS

The monographic DOF clinic provided specialized care, impacting positively at the nutritional status of patients, as well as perceived changes in HRQOL, with a probable impact on caregivers.

Clinical Importance and Risk Factors for Postoperative Late-Onset Pneumonia After Major Oral Cancer Surgery With Microvascular Reconstruction

BACKGROUND

Pulmonary complications are common among patients who have undergone major oral cancer surgery with microvascular reconstruction. Current literatures focused on early-onset pneumonia in the postoperative acute stage. In contrast, we are aiming to identify the clinical importance and the risk factors associated with late-onset pneumonia in oral cancer patients after acute stage.

METHODS

In total, 195 patients were included from May 2014 to December 2016 and followed up for up to 1 year after surgery. Their medical histories were reviewed to identify the risk factors of late-onset pneumonia and outcome. Primary outcome was late-onset pneumonia. Other outcome measures included early-onset pneumonia, tumor recurrence, and death within 1 year after surgery.

RESULTS

Patients with late-onset pneumonia have demonstrated a significantly higher rate of tumor recurrence (P < 0.001) and death within 1 year (P < 0.001). Independent risk factors of late-onset pneumonia identified were age (P = 0.031), previous radiotherapy (P = 0.017), postoperative radiotherapy (P = 0.002), flap size (P = 0.001), flap type other than osteocutaneous fibula flap (P = 0.009), and tumor recurrence (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Late-onset pneumonia can act as a warning sign for oral cancer patients who have received microsurgical reconstruction, for its high correlation with tumor recurrence and mortality rate.

Course of Self-Reported Dysphagia, Voice Impairment and Pain in Head and Neck Cancer Survivors

BACKGROUND

Head and neck cancer (HNC)-specific symptoms have a substantial impact on health-related quality of life. The aim of this study was to determine whether self-reported dysphagia, voice problems and pain of HNC patients changed over time and whether specific clinical or sociodemographic variables were associated with these symptoms.

METHODS

HNC patients (n = 299) in an outpatient setting answered questionnaires (Eating Assessment Tool-10; questions from the EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC H&N35) on dysphagia, voice problems and pain, collected with the software "OncoFunction" at three different timepoints (t1-t3) after diagnosis. The mean score changes from t1 to t3 were expressed in terms of effect sizes d. The impact of sociodemographic and clinical factors on the course of the variables was tested with multivariate analyses of variance.

RESULTS

Dysphagia, voice impairment and pain in HNC survivors significantly improved over a period of approximately 14 months after diagnosis. Tumor site, stage, treatment modality, occupational state and ECOG state were significantly correlated with self-reported functional outcome. The pain level of the HNC patients was rather low.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients suffer from functional impairments after HNC treatment, but an improvement in self-reported symptoms could be demonstrated within this time period.

FLOX (5-fluorouracil + leucovorin + oxaliplatin) chemotherapy for colorectal cancer leads to long-term orofacial neurotoxicity: a STROBE-guided longitudinal prospective study

BACKGROUND

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is widely treated by chemotherapy based on an intensely neurotoxic drug: oxaliplatin (OXL). We objective to evaluate prospectively the orofacial neurotoxicity during FLOX (fluorouracil + leucovorin + OXL) chemotherapy.

METHODS

So, 46 patients with CRC were prospectively evaluated during FLOX chemotherapy by 3 cycles (C) of 6 weeks (W) each. We weekly applied the orofacial section of the Acute and Chronic Neuropathy Questionnaire of Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Events of the National Cancer Institute of the United States of America (Oxaliplatin-specific neurotoxicity scale). Patients were asked the following concerning the severity (scores 0-5) of orofacial symptoms: jaw pain, eyelids drooping, throat discomfort, ear pain, tingling in mouth, difficulty with speech, burning or discomfort of the eyes, loss of any vision, feeling shock/pain down back and problems breathing. We summed the scores (0-50) and evaluated the clinicopathological data. Friedman/Dunn, Chi square and multinomial regression logistic tests were used (SPSS 20.0, p < 0.05).

RESULTS

There was a significant increase in sum of orofacial neurotoxicity from baseline to C1.W3, C2.W1 and C3.W5 (p < 0.001) due increase in scores of jaw pain (p < 0.001), eyelids drooping (p = 0.034), throat discomfort (p < 0.001), ear pain (p = 0.034), tingling in mouth (p = 0.015), burning/discomfort of your eyes (p < 0.001), loss of any vision (p < 0.001), feeling shock/pain down back (p < 0.001), problems with breathing (p = 0.045), but not difficulty with speech (p = 0.087). Women (p = 0.021) and young patients (p = 0.027) had significant higher prevalence of orofacial neurotoxicity.

CONCLUSIONS

FLOX-related orofacial neurotoxicity begins acutely and remains long term with increased incidence in women and younger patients.

Causes of nutrition deficit during immediate postoperative period after free flap surgery for cancer of the head and neck

PURPOSE

The aim of the present of study was to examine nutrition deficit during the immediate postoperative in-hospital period following free flap surgery for cancer of the head and neck (HNC). Underfeeding and malnutrition are known to be associated with impaired short- and long-time recovery after major surgery.

METHODS

This single-center retrospective cohort study included 218 HNC patients who underwent free flap surgery in Oulu University Hospital, Finland between the years 2008 and 2018. Nutrition delivery methods, the adequacy of nutrition and complication rates were evaluated during the first 10 postoperative days.

RESULTS

A total of 131 (60.1%) patients reached nutritional adequacy of 60% of calculated individual demand during the follow-up period. According to multivariate analysis, nutrition inadequacy was associated with higher ideal body weight (OR 1.11 [1.04-1.20]), whereas adequate nutrition was associated with higher number of days with oral food intake (OR 0.79 [0.67-0.93]).

CONCLUSION

Inadequate nutrition is common after HNC free flap surgery. The present results suggest that more adequate nutrition delivery might be obtained by the early initiation of oral food intake and close monitoring of nutrition support.

[Effect of double-leaf perforator free flap posterolateral calf peroneal artery on reconstruction of oropharyngeal anatomy after ablation of advanced oropharyngeal carcinoma]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of using free double- leaf perforator flap posterolateral calf peroneal artery in anatomical reconstruction of the oropharyngeal structure after ablation of advanced oropharyngeal carcinoma.

METHODS

Twenty-six patients with oropharyngeal defects after ablation of oropharyngeal malignancies were recruited, including 12 with carcinoma in the tongue base, 5 in the latenral pharyngeal wall and 9 in the soft palate. Between July, 2016 and July, 2018, the patients underwent surgeries for reconstruction of the oropharyngeal defects using flaps. The areas of tissue defects repaired by double-leaf perforator flaps ranged from 40.5 to 72.5 cm2. Reconstruction was performed for oropharyngeal defects in the soft palate, pterygopalate, parapharyngeal, pterygo- mandibular, and tongue base tissues. The patients' outcomes including mouth opening, functions of deglutition, linguistic function, restoration of palatopharyngeal anatomical structure and postoperative survival were evaluated, and their quality of life was assessed using FACT-H&N scale (Chinese Edition).

RESULTS

All the 26 patients with transplantation of the free flaps survived. Six months after the operation, the oropharyngeal function and anatomical structure of the patients were basically restored. The questionnaire survey showed that the patients' physical, social/family, emotional and functional conditions, the total score of the core scale, items scores for the head and neck, and the total score of the scale all improved significantly after the operation compared with those before the operation (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The free peroneal artery bilobate perforator flap in the posterolateral crus, which seldom has anatomical variations of the blood vessels, allows flexible design and contains rich tissue volume to facilitate defect repair with different approaches and ranges. The application of this flap, which is an ideal perforator flap for reconstruction of the oropharyngeal structure and function, can improve the quality of life of patients following operations for advanced oropharyngeal cancer.

Suicide among cancer patients: adolescents and young adult (AYA) versus all-age patients

Background

Many researchers have studied suicide risk factors of patients with one specific cancer. But there is no comprehensive study to compare suicide issues between adolescents and young adult (AYA) group and all-age groups in a pan-cancer view.

Methods

Patients diagnosed with 20 solid malignancies were identified from SEER database. Multivariable logistic regression was operated to find out risk factors of suicide.

Results

Male sex has less impact on AYA than all-age patients (OR 2.72, 95% CI: 2.23-3.31, P<0.001 vs. OR 4.64, 95% CI: 4.37-4.94, P<0.001), while white race (OR 3.28, 95% CI: 2.02-5.77, P<0.001 vs. OR 3.40, 95% CI: 3.02-3.84, P<0.001) and unmarried status (OR 1.51, 95% CI: 1.24-1.83, P<0.001 vs. OR 1.39, 95% CI: 1.33-1.46, P<0.001) have similar impact on AYA and all-age groups. Localized cancer stage may have stronger impact on AYA than all-age (OR 2.90, 95% CI: 1.83-4.84; P<0.001 vs. OR 1.76, 95% CI: 1.61-1.92; P<0.001), while surgery only influence all-age (OR 1.14, P=0.451 vs. 1.24, P<0.001). Within 5 years from cancer diagnosis, longer survival time is associated with higher suicide risk of both all-age and AYA patients.

Conclusions

Male sex, white race and unmarried status, earlier cancer stage and longer survival time within 5 years are similar prevalent risk factors for both AYA group patients and all-age patients. It is not necessary to pick AYA cancer patients out when considering suicide risk of cancer patients.

Monitoring and Evaluation of Late Functional Outcome in Post-treatment Follow-Up in Clinical Routine Setting

Patients treated for head and neck cancer (HNC) often suffer from severe and visible loss of function as the cancer itself and the side effects of aggressive treatments have the potential to severely affect quality of life. Therefore, the aim of follow-up is not only the early detection of potentially curable recurrences and second primary tumors but also the diagnosis and rehabilitation of functional impairments. Clear guidelines determining the frequency of follow-up visits are missing, and the impact of follow-up visits on patient's prognosis is unclear. An intensive post-treatment follow-up is needed to detect functional impairments and to initiate their treatment. The aim is an optimal rehabilitation of the patients. This article focusses on goals of aftercare treatment and describes the spectrum of long-term sequelae, and the impact of Patient Reported Outcome (PRO) instruments of which three will be introduced.