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Functional outcomes after chemoradiotherapy of laryngeal and pharyngeal cancers
Katherine A Hutcheson1, Jan S Lewin
1Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA. karnold@mdanderson.org
Abstract:
Organ preservation regimens that combine chemotherapy and radiotherapy (chemoradiotherapy) are increasingly used as the primary treatment of laryngeal and pharyngeal cancers. Meta-analytic data show a survival benefit with combined modality therapy, but the functional sequelae can be significant. Dysphagia is recognized as a common and often devastating late effect of chemoradiotherapy. This review examines functional outcomes after chemoradiotherapy for laryngeal and pharyngeal cancers, with a particular emphasis on dysphagia. Topics examined include the burden of dysphagia after chemoradiation, pathophysiology of dysphagia, baseline functioning, recommendations to improve long-term function, and voice outcomes.
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