You searched for "head and neck cancer"

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Changing perceptions in head and neck cancer management caused by quality of life issues

Sir Felix Semon was an outstanding clinician and exceptional laryngologist. The money raised by donations from his colleagues on his retirement in 1909 was used to establish the London University’s Semon Lecture. Semon’s Obituary in the BMJ, reads: “In Semon's...

Predicting swallowing outcomes post radiotherapy for head and neck cancer

A videofluroscopic swallow study (VFSS), also known as modified barium swallow (MBS) offers a dynamic view of swallow biomechanics and associated swallowing physiology. The authors of this paper investigated whether quantitative timing and displacement measures of key structures involved in...

Are there benefits of prophylactic swallowing exercises for patients with head and neck cancer?

This randomised controlled trial aimed to establish the impact of prophylactic swallowing exercises in patients undergoing chemoradiation therapy for head and neck cancer. The primary outcome was the functional oral intake scale (FOIS), although secondary measures for feeding tube use,...

Pre-habilitation in head and neck cancer – a literature review to guide best practice

Curative treatment of head and neck cancer (HNC) often requires surgery; however, outcomes are impacted by the complexity of the surgery and the patient population. Increasingly ‘Enhanced Recovery After Surgery’ (ERAS) protocols are being used to maximise patient outcomes and...

Association between depression and survival in patients with head and neck cancer

Approximately 40% of patients develop major depressive disorder (MDD) during diagnosis and treatment for head and neck cancer (HNC). Depressive symptoms in these patients have a significant effect on their rehabilitation and survival. Given the small number of studies in...

Are elective facelifts a good idea after head and neck cancer radiotherapy?

The aim of this study was to assess the safety of elective cervicofacial rhytidectomy following radiotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). A greater proportion of HNSCC patients are infected with certain strains of the human papillomavirus, which...

A safe management pathway for low-risk head and neck cancer suspected referrals

Head and neck cancer is the eighth most common malignancy and numbers are increasing. This has led to increasing number of suspected cancer referrals which, with imposition of the 28-day Faster Diagnosis Standard implemented in 2020, has further burdened the...

Head and neck cancer deaths to cost $535 billion by 2030

More than 500,000 people across the globe will die this year from head and neck cancer, which is the sixth most common cancer in the world and comprises malignancies of the nose, mouth, throat, larynx, and neck. Assuming current trends...

Effects of coronavirus pandemic on presentation of head and neck cancer patients

The COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented disruption of NHS services. This was compounded by patients’ reluctance to attend hospitals at that time. How this affected the presentation of patients with head and neck cancer is the subject of this study. Head...

What is the prognostic value of lymph node yield and density in head and neck cancer?

Neck dissection in addition to surgery of the primary site is commonly recommended in head and neck cancer treatment. However, there has been no consensus on the number of nodes that need to be removed to constitute a sufficient neck...

Best timing for post-treatment PET-CT scans in head and neck cancer

Unfortunately we know that the recurrence rate for head and neck cancer can be high, up to 30-50% in some series. These recurrences tend to occur within the first two years following treatment. Optimal surveillance strategies to detect recurrences early...

Modifying two-week wait protocol for suspected head and neck cancer patients during COVID-19

As healthcare workers, we are committed to ensuring that our patients continue to receive the optimum care that we are set up to deliver. However, the last year has shown that we need to be mindful of balancing this with...