Assessment of Dysphagia for Head, Neck, and Oral Cancer (HNOC)

Management of the head, neck, and oral cancer (HNOC)population can be daunting to even the seasoned clinicians. In the United States, about 3% of all cancers are HNOC,annually it affects approximately 63,000 Americans (Jemal, Siegel, Xu, & Ward, 2010; Siegel, Miller, & Jemal, 2017). A dramatic increase has been found within the younger male population due to the rise in Human Papilloma Virus (HPV+). In a 2008-2012 U.S. surveillance report (Viens et al., 2016), yearly approximately 15,738 HPV+ HNOC were diagnosed, the median age of diagnosis was < 60-years-old and mostpredominantly males. (Spence, 2016) Improvements in medical management of these cancers have resulted in better long term survival rates, however, the treatmentmodalities in and of themselves can often cause long term complications and ever-changing swallowing function. (Lazarus et al., 2014). This course provides a better understanding of the impact of the cancer type, stage, location, and the medical managements impact on the swallowing mechanism. Participants will also learn the assessment tools that are available to assist in developmentof a plan of care and the informal measures that can aid development of a patient specificity.

This workshop will improve confidence in assessing the dysphagia needs of the head, neck, and oral cancer population with evidence-based practice, standardized assessment tools, and informal measures, which canpositively impact clinical decision making in this highly diverseand challenging population.

Highlights

• Head, neck, and oral cancer sites of lesion, types of cancers, and staging
• Medical management options including surgical resections, reconstructions, radiation, chemotherapy, radiation/chemo concomitant, and use of PEG tubes on the swallowing mechanism
• Confidently assess dysphagia in the head, neck, and oral cancer population utilizing informal and standardized assessment tools
• Instrumental assessments: limitations, expectations, and impact on the plan of care

Target Audience: Speech-Language Pathologists