Contralateral Constrictor Dose Predicts Swallowing Function After Radiation for Head and Neck Cancer

Radiation therapy can cause long-term dysphagia that seriously affects quality of life for survivors of head and neck cancer. This study evaluates a novel organ at risk, the contralateral pharyngeal constrictor muscles, to find out whether radiation dose to this structure predicts late swallowing function in patients with head and neck cancer.

The study included patients with head and neck cancer treated with radiation and concurrent systemic therapy at a single institution over 3 years. One-year dysphagia was defined as either the presence of a gastrostomy tube or an abnormal modified barium swallow ≥ 1 year after completion of radiation.

Fifty-five patients met inclusion criteria, of which 46 were alive at 1 year. One-year dysphagia was present in 37% (n = 17) of this population. Contralateral constrictor V60 < 40% was associated with a 1-year dysphagia rate of 6%, compared with 57% in patients with V60 ≥ 40% (P < .001). An uninvolved pharynx mean dose < 45 Gy was associated with a 1-year dysphagia rate of 22%, compared with 52% in patients with an uninvolved pharynx mean dose ≥ 45 Gy (P = .03). Editing the clinical target volume off air cavities was associated with a decrease in 1-year dysphagia from 67% to 12% (P < .001), and with a reduction of contralateral constrictor V60 from 62% to 33% (P < .001). Air cavity editing was not associated with a change in locoregional recurrence or 1-year survival.

This is the first study to report a connection between contralateral constrictor dose and late swallowing function. The correlation between air cavity editing and contralateral constrictor V60 suggests that contralateral constrictor dose may depend partly on technique. Further studies are needed to explore whether these findings can be replicated prospectively and in other practice settings.