Intraoral sensation before and after radiotherapy and surgery for oral and pharyngeal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Patients with unilateral oral or pharyngeal cancer often receive bilateral radiotherapy because of the potential for metastases. Because postoperative sequelae are evident on the tumor side, to date little attention has been paid to sensory alterations after radiotherapy on the healthy, nontumor side. The objective of this study was to investigate possible sensory alterations. METHODS: Intraoral sensation was tested bilaterally at standardized sites in 27 patients and 20 controls. Preoperative radiotherapy was bilateral in 19 patients and unilateral in eight patients. Patients were tested before treatment, after radiotherapy, and after surgery at 6 months and 1 year. Comparisons were performed interindividually and intraindividually and between groups. RESULTS: A delayed deterioration of sensation was revealed on the nontumor side 6 months after radiotherapy. There was no recovery 1 year after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoral sensation cannot be evaluated directly after radiotherapy. It is plausible that sensory deterioration after radiotherapy has an impact on functional rehabilitation after tumor treatment.