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Published on: March 18, 2020
Effectiveness of a guided self-help exercise program tailored to patients treated with total laryngectomy: Results of
Femke Jansen1, Simone E J Eerenstein2, Ingrid C Cnossen2
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Cancer Center Amsterdam, PO Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Section Clinical Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Public Health, van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Objective:
To investigate the effectiveness of a guided self-help exercise program on swallowing, speech, and shoulder problems in patients treated with total laryngectomy (TL).
Materials And Methods:
This randomized controlled trial included patients treated with TL in the last 5 years. Patients were randomized into the intervention group (self-help exercise program with flexibility, range-of-motion and lymphedema exercises and self-care education program) or control group (self-care education program). Both groups completed measurements before and 3 and 6-months after randomization. The primary outcome was swallowing problems (SWAL-QOL). Secondary outcomes were speech problems (SHI), shoulder problems (SDQ), self-management (patient activation: PAM) and health-related quality of life (HRQOL: EORTC QLQ-C30/H&N35). Adherence was defined as moderate-high in case a patient exercised >1 per day. Linear mixed model analyses were conducted to investigate the effectiveness of the intervention and to investigate whether neck dissection, treatment indication (primary/salvage TL), time since treatment, severity of problems, and preferred format (online/booklet) moderated the effectiveness.
Results:
Moderate-high adherence to the exercise program was 59%. The intervention group (n = 46) reported less swallowing and communication problems over time compared to the control group (n = 46) (p-value = 0.013 and 0.004). No difference was found on speech, shoulder problems, patient activation and HRQOL. Time since treatment moderated the effectiveness on speech problems (p-value = 0.025): patients within 6 months after surgery benefitted most from the intervention. Being treated with a neck dissection, treatment indication, severity of problems and format did not moderate the effectiveness.
Conclusion:
The guided self-help exercise program improves swallowing and communication.
Trial Registration:
NTR5255.
