Speech therapy intervention in a patient with multiple myeloma and dysphagia - a case study from clinical practice

Swallowing disorders (dysphagia) in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) occur less frequently than in neurological or structural diagnoses; however, they can significantly affect nutrition, quality of life, and overall prognosis. In the available literature, cases of dysphagia are described mainly in the pharyngeal phase, often in connection with systematic amyloidosis. In contrast, therapeutic strategies which focus on rehabilitation of the oral phase - particularly chewing - remain neglected both in clinical practice and in publications.

We describe a patient with multiple myeloma and oral dysphagia. Despite being a marginal area of treatment, speech and language therapy contributed significantly to improving the patient's quality of life. Individual therapy is effective to make feeding better. During speech therapy, the Jaw Rehabilitation Program, based on the concept of Oral Treatment Therapy, was used.

The aim of this article is to present the possibilities of speech and language therapy intervention in patients with MM in the context of dysphagia, and to highlight the interdisciplinary potential of this care. The article is based on a review of Czech and international literature and is complemented by a case report from clinical speech and language therapy practice.