Effect of Intensive Oropharyngeal Training on Radiotherapy-Related Dysphagia in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients

Objective To evaluate the effect of intensive oropharyngeal functional training on swallowing in patients with dysphagia after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Methods Fourteen patients with nasopharyngeal carcinomas and dysphagia after radiotherapy received intensive oropharyngeal training for two weeks. The Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS) and videofluoroscopic swallowing studies (VFSS) were used to evaluate swallowing function before and after intensive oropharyngeal training. Spatiotemporal parameters of the VFSS were analyzed using a digital image analysis system. Results After training, the FOIS, Rosenbek penetration-aspiration score, DIGEST, normalized residue ratio scale, and spatiotemporal parameters of VFSS were significantly improved (P < 0.05). Conclusions This study indicated that intensive oropharyngeal training improves swallowing function after radiotherapy in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.