The stability, reliability, and validity of videofluoroscopy measures for patients with head and neck cancer.

The purpose of this study was to contrast the psychometric properties (stability, test-retest reliability, construct, and concurrent validity) of three different tools used for evaluating videofluoroscopy swallowing studies (VFSS): (1) rating the presence or absence of a swallowing disorder, (2) the Bethlehem Assessment Scale (BAS), and (3) biomechanical measures. These three tools were applied to the same three examinations of two different consistencies (liquid and semisolid), taken from 40 VFSSs of patients with head and neck (H&N) cancer. Stability of swallowing across three swallows was a concern for three measures with the liquid consistency and nine measures with the semisolid consistency.

Swallowing outcomes after radiotherapy for head and neck cancer: a systematic review.

Background: A systematic review of the current data on swallowing function after radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy is presented.

Methods: Electronic databases were searched for 1966-2005. Papers were categorized according to level of evidence, methodological quality, and the specific domain of swallowing being measured.

An evaluation of functional outcomes (speech, swallowing) in patients attending speech pathology after head and neck cancer treatment(s): results and analysis at 12 months post-intervention.

We have earlier reported establishing a computerized database to audit functional outcomes in patients who underwent head and neck cancer treatment in Victoria, Australia and attended speech pathology services from April 1997-April 1999. This paper presents the statistical analyses and results from this study. Speech pathologists collected, prospectively, functional outcome data on 293 patients who underwent head and neck cancer treatment, and sent these for analysis to La Trobe University.