Abstract
Head and neck cancer is a distressing cancer with a great impact on quality of life. Recently, the amount of oropharyngeal cancers in patients younger than 50 years increases significantly due to the human papillomavirus. Chemo-radiotherapy results in a higher patient survival, but up to 59% of these patients experience swallowing problems during or after the treatment, called radiationassociated dysphagia (RAD). RAD has a high impact on quality of life and the medical consequences are life threatening and immensely demanding on health care resources. The tongue plays an important role during swallowing, so an important underlying mechanism of RAD in these patient group is reduced tongue strength. But few is known about the pathophysiology behind the RAD and the exact link with tongue strength. Recently, multiple studies have shown that strengthening exercises can have a positive effect on tongue strength, swallowing function, and quality of life in healthy adults and various patient populations. But evidence in this specific population is rather scarce and there is no consensus on the content of an effective therapy regimen. A thorough study of the swallowing function, tongue strength, quality of life and other related factors will create insight in risk factors for developing RAD. This study aims to deliver the essential scientific support needed to implement new insights and recently developed techniques for swallowing rehabilitation based on tongue strength training.
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