Temporal Trends in Clinician-Assessed and Patient-Reported Swallowing Outcomes in Oropharyngeal Cancer Patients

Dysphagia is a consequence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) treatments and often results in a devastating reduction in quality of life (QoL; Nguyen et al., 2005; Pauloski, 2008).

This study aimed to report temporal trends in swallowing outcomes using the Modified Barium Swallow Impairment Profile (MBSImP) and the M.D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) and to study the relationship between these two measures.

This was a retrospective review of clinical data collected in January 2013 to December 2017 from a tertiary care center. MBSImP PI scores and MDADI composite scores were collected pretreatment and 1, 6, and 12 months posttreatment. Data were analyzed in aggregate and stratified by treatment modality. To address the primary objective, descriptive statistics were used. To address the secondary objective, four Spearman tests were run between MBSImP PI and MDADI composite scores.

A total of 123 OPSCC participants were included. With respect to trends, MBSImP PI scores worsened 1 month posttreatment and remained impaired at 6 and 12 months. For MDADI composite scores, patient reports worsened 1 month posttreatment and subsequently improved at 6 and 12 months. MBSImP PI and MDADI composite scores were weakly negatively correlated (i.e., in agreement) at the pre- and 12-month posttreatment appointments.

Swallowing outcomes in OPSCC patients have distinct yet predictable trends for both clinician-assessed and patient-reported swallowing outcomes during the first year following cancer treatment. However, unlike previous findings, these two types of measures were in agreement at the pretreatment and 12 months posttreatment appointments.