Swallowing Exercises for Patients With Nasopharyngeal Cancer After Radiation Therapy
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Enrollment
- 16
- Locations
- 2
- Primary Endpoint
- Change from Baseline in videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS)
Study Overview
Brief Summary
This study is designed to investigate the treatment efficacy of 8 weeks swallowing exercise programs for patients with NPC after radiation therapy. This study also compares two different swallowing exercise: effortful swallow and Mendelsohn's maneuver, to see which one can bring more benefits to patients after a certain period of exercise training. Three assessment tools are selected to evaluate the study result: Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability (MASA), videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS), and Chinese version Swallowing Quality-of-Life Questionnaire (CSWAL-QOL). The hypothesis of this study is that the effortful swallowing exercise would have better treatment efficacy.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Treatment
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 20 Years to 70 Years (Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- •patients diagnosed with NPC
- •completed radiation therapy at least 1 year
- •mild to moderate swallowing disorder defined by videofluorography
- •able to comply with protocal mandate, willing to perform the exercise programs, and ability to attend the weekly sessions
Exclusion Criteria
- •feeding tube insitu
- •received pharyngeal surgery
- •tracheostomy tube insitu
- •patients who could not put effort to push posterior tongue base backward and who could not elevate their pharyngeal during swallowing
- •severe swallowing disorder or aspirate defined by videofluorography
- •other malignances, neurovascular disease, demyelinating disease
- •cancer relapse or metastases
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Change from Baseline in videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS)
Time Frame: Change from Baseline in VFSS at 8 weeks
Videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) measures the bolus transit time including: 1.oral transit time; 2. pharyngeal transit time; and 3. pharyngeal delay time. It also reveals the occurrence of swallowing aspiration or not.
Secondary Outcomes
- Change from Baseline in Chinese version of the Swallow Quality-of-Life Questionnaire (CSWAL-QOL)(Change from Baseline in CSWAL-QOL at 8 weeks)