Objective assessment of swallowing function after definitive concurrent (chemo)radiotherapy in patients with head and neck cancer.

The aim of this study was to objectively assess swallowing function and factors impacting it after curative intent definitive (chemo)radiotherapy (CRT) for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Swallowing function was studied in a cohort of 47 patients with locoregionally advanced (T1-4, N0-3) HNSCC treated with definitive CRT. Objective assessment of swallowing function was done using modified barium swallow (MBS) at baseline (pre-CRT) and subsequent follow-ups. Scoring of MBS was done using penetration-aspiration scale (PAS). Abnormal swallowing was defined in terms of incidence and severity of penetration-aspiration, pharyngeal residue, postural change, and regurgitation. Aspiration, residual, postural change, and regurgitation were present on baseline pre-CRT assessment in 9 (19%), 11 (23%), 10 (21%), and 5 (10%) patients that increased to 11 (29%), 11 (29%), 12 (32%), and 10 (26%) patients, respectively, at 6-month post-CRT evaluation. The proportion of patients with high PAS scores (3-7) increased from 27% at baseline to 37% at 6-month post-CRT evaluation. Among patients (n = 34) with low PAS scores (≤2) at baseline, additional impairment of swallowing function was seen in 53 and 46% at 2- and 6-month assessment, respectively. Residue (44%) and aspiration (18%) domains were impaired in a higher proportion of patients after CRT. Thin and thick barium had higher aspiration and residue function impairment, respectively. Patients with pre-CRT poor subjective swallowing function (P = 0.004), hypopharyngeal primary (P = 0.05), and large tumor volume (P = 0.05) had significantly worse objective swallowing function at baseline as demonstrated by pretreatment PAS scores. This study provides useful information regarding patterns of objective swallowing dysfunction in patients treated with definitive (chemo)radiotherapy. There is significant impairment of objective swallowing function in all domains following CRT, with residue and aspiration domains being affected most significantly.

Prospective assessment of quality of life in adult patients with primary brain tumors in routine neurooncology practice.

The aim of this article is to evaluate and assess the impact of various factors on quality of life (QOL) in adult patients with primary brain tumors seen consecutively in routine neurooncology practice. Two hundred and fifty-seven adult patients, after undergoing surgical intervention and histologically proven primary brain neoplasms were registered in the NeuroOncology Clinic at our centre during 1 full calendar year. The study included detailed neurological assessment, evaluation of QOL using EORTC questionnaire (QLQ-30) and specific Brain Cancer module (BN 20). In the present analysis, QOL scores before starting adjuvant treatment were measured and impact of patient and tumor related factors were analyzed. Baseline global QOL data of all patients (available in 243) was relatively low including in all histological tumor types. Physical function, role function, emotion function, cognitive and social function scores were 80, 78, 65.7, 70 and 70.5 (higher values better), respectively. Domains of future uncertainty, visual disorder, motor deficit, communication deficit, headache, seizures and drowsiness scores were 19.6, 18.2, 28.5, 30.7, 21, 31.8 and 16 (lower values better), respectively. Elderly patients had poorer global score (21 points difference; p = 0.161). Patients with lower performance status (KPS < 70) had a lower global QOL (KPS >or= 80 vs.

Prospective assessment of activities of daily living using modified Barthel's Index in children and young adults with low-grade gliomas treated with stereotactic conformal radiotherapy.

PURPOSE: To report prospective evaluations of activities of daily living (ADL) in young patients with low-grade gliomas treated with stereotactic conformal radiotherapy (SCRT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between April 2001 and February 2008, 38 children and young adults (age 5-25 years, median 12.5 years) with low-grade gliomas with residual/progressive disease and treated with SCRT were accrued in a prospective protocol. Patients underwent baseline and follow-up ADL assessments by the modified Barthel's battery, which comprises domains of personal hygiene, bathing self, feeding, toilet, stair climbing, dressing, bowel control, bladder control, ambulation, and chair-bed transfer. RESULT: The patient population consisted of 38 patients (male 29, female 9) with a diagnosis of residual or progressive low-grade glioma (pilocytic astrocytoma in 27, fibrillary astrocytoma in 5, ependymoma in 4, and oligodendroglioma and pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma in 1 each). Three patients were visually handicapped. Mean of total modified Barthel's ADL score (Barthel' Index, BI) at baseline before staring SCRT was 94.5 (standard deviation 14.8, range 45-100). At 2-year and 3-year follow-up, mean BI was 97.1 and 99, respectively. At baseline pre-radiotherapy assessment, patients with impaired visual function and with low performance status (Karnofsky performance score, KPS < 70) had significantly lower BI than those with normal vision (P