The Journal of laryngology and otology
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Practice Guideline
Speech and swallow rehabilitation in head and neck cancer: United Kingdom National Multidisciplinary Guidelines.
This is the official guideline endorsed by the specialty associations involved in the care of head and neck cancer patients in the UK. The disease itself and the treatment can have far reaching effects on speech and swallow function, which are consistently prioritised by survivors as an area of concern. This paper provides recommendations on the assessments and interventions for speech and swallow rehabilitation in this patient group. Recommendations • All multidisciplinary teams should have rehabilitation patient pathways covering all stages of the patient's journey including multidisciplinary and pre-treatment clinics. (G) • Clinicians treating head and neck cancer patients should consult the National Cancer Rehabilitation Pathway for head and neck cancers. (G) • All head and neck cancer patients should have a pre-treatment assessment of speech and swallowing. (G) • A programme of prophylactic exercises and the teaching of swallowing manoeuvres can reduce impairments, maintain function and enable a speedier recovery. (R) • Continued speech and language therapist input is important in maintaining voice and safe and effective swallow function following head and neck cancer treatment. (R) • Disease recurrence must be ruled out in the management of stricture and/or stenosis. (R) • Continuous radial expansion balloons offer a safe, effective dilation method with advantages over gum elastic bougies. (R) • Site, length and completeness of strictures as well as whether they are in the presence of the larynx or not, need to be assessed when establishing the likelihood of surgically improved outcome. (G) • Primary surgical voice restoration should be offered to all patients undergoing laryngectomy. (R) • Attention to surgical detail and long-term speech and language therapist input is required to optimise speech and swallowing after laryngectomy. (G) • Patients should commence wearing heat and moisture exchange devices as soon as possible after laryngectomy. (R).
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Practice Guideline
Management of neck metastases in head and neck cancer: United Kingdom National Multidisciplinary Guidelines.
This is the official guideline endorsed by the specialty associations involved in the care of head and neck cancer patients in the UK. A rational plan to manage the neck is necessary for all head and neck primaries. With the emergence of new level 1 evidence across several domains of neck metastases, this guideline will identify the evidence-based recommendations for management. Recommendations • Computed tomographic or magnetic resonance imaging is mandatory for staging neck disease, with choice of modality dependant on imaging modality used for the primary site, local availability and expertise. (R) • Patients with a clinically N0 neck, with more than 15-20 per cent risk of occult nodal metastases, should be offered prophylactic treatment of the neck. (R) • The treatment choice of for the N0 and N+ neck should be guided by the treatment to the primary site. (G) • If observation is planned for the N0 neck, this should be supplemented by regular ultrasonograms to ensure early detection. (R) • All patients with T1 and T2 oral cavity cancer and N0 neck should receive prophylactic neck treatment. (R) • Selective neck dissection (SND) is as effective as modified radical neck dissection for controlling regional disease in N0 necks for all primary sites. (R) • SND alone is adequate treatment for pN1 neck disease without adverse histological features. (R) • Post-operative radiation for adverse histologic features following SND confers control rates comparable with more extensive procedures. (R) • Adjuvant radiation following surgery for patients with adverse histological features improves regional control rates. (R) • Post-operative chemoradiation improves regional control in patients with extracapsular spread and/or microscopically involved surgical margins. (R) • Following chemoradiation therapy, complete responders who do not show evidence of active disease on co-registered positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) scans performed at 10-12 weeks, do not need salvage neck dissection. (R) • Salvage surgery should be considered for those with incomplete or equivocal response of nodal disease on PET-CT. (R).
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Practice Guideline
Quality of life considerations in head and neck cancer: United Kingdom National Multidisciplinary Guidelines.
This is the official guideline endorsed by the specialty associations involved in the care of head and neck cancer patients in the UK. It identifies the current evidence base and role of health-related quality of life assessment for this group of patients. Recommendations • Health-related quality of life is integral to treatment planning, refining treatment protocols, and more personalised follow-up support. (G) • Health-related quality of life and patient concerns should be regularly assessed during patient care. (G) • Health-related quality of life assessment and patient concerns on an individual patient basis can be helpful to trigger multi-professional support and interventions. (G).
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Practice Guideline
Surgery in head and neck cancer: United Kingdom National Multidisciplinary Guidelines.
This is the official guideline endorsed by the specialty associations involved in the care of head and neck cancer patients in the UK. Surgery is one of the key modalities used in head and neck cancer treatment. Recent advances and a greater awareness of the short- and long-term toxicities associated with non-surgical modalities and newer technologies that permit minimal access resections have led to a resurgence in surgery. This paper provides an overview of the role of surgery in head and neck cancer practice.
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Practice Guideline
Radiotherapy in head and neck cancer management: United Kingdom National Multidisciplinary Guidelines.
This is the official guideline endorsed by the specialty associations involved in the care of head and neck cancer patients in the UK. Radiotherapy is one of the key treatment modalities used in head and neck cancer management. This paper summarises the current role and some of the recent advances in radiotherapy in head and neck cancer management.