Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42365280›Full record

ArticleBMC oral health2026

Longitudinal changes in oral and swallowing functions following radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy in patients with hypopharyngeal cancer: a retrospective study.

Kouta Nagoya, Atsumi Sunakawa, Tomoki Tamai, Takaya Chiba, Yuichi Tashimo, Yuka Harada, Yoshiaki Ihara, Toshikazu Shimane

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Article in BMC oral health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Kouta NagoyaDivision of Oral Functional Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Oral Health Management, Showa Medical University School of Dentistry, Tokyo, Japan. k-nagoya@dent.showa-u.ac.jp.
Atsumi SunakawaDivision of Oral Functional Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Oral Health Management, Showa Medical University School of Dentistry, Tokyo, Japan.
Tomoki TamaiDepartment of Oral Functional Rehabilitation Medicine, Showa Medical University Graduate School of Dentistry, Tokyo, Japan.
Takaya ChibaDivision of Oral Functional Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Oral Health Management, Showa Medical University School of Dentistry, Tokyo, Japan.
Yuichi TashimoDivision of Oral Functional Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Oral Health Management, Showa Medical University School of Dentistry, Tokyo, Japan.
Yuka HaradaDivision of Oral Functional Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Oral Health Management, Showa Medical University School of Dentistry, Tokyo, Japan.
Yoshiaki IharaDivision of Oral Functional Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Oral Health Management, Showa Medical University School of Dentistry, Tokyo, Japan.
Toshikazu ShimaneDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Showa Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOral and swallowing dysfunction is a common complication among patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) after radiotherapy (RT) or chemoradiotherapy (CRT). However, the longitudinal course of oral and swallowing functions, particularly in patients with hypopharyngeal cancer (HPC), remains insufficiently characterized. This study aimed to comprehensively assess longitudinal changes in oral and swallowing functions in patients with HPC undergoing RT or CRT.

methodsTwenty-seven patients with HPC were assessed before treatment (Pre) and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after RT or CRT. Evaluations included respiration, neck mobility, tongue function, facial function, oral function, vocalization, swallowing function using the repetitive saliva swallowing test (RSST) and modified water swallowing test (MWST), and sensory function.

resultsOral function worsened over time, with the increased prevalence of dry mouth and taste disturbance, whereas objective oral moisture remained relatively stable. Tongue pressure increased, while oral motor coordination declined, indicating a dissociation between strength and coordination. Swallowing efficiency decreased as reflected by RSST, while swallowing safety assessed by MWST remained stable.

conclusionRT/CRT induced domain-specific changes in oral function, characterized by deterioration in subjective oral symptoms and motor coordination alongside compensatory increases in tongue strength. These oral changes were associated with reduced swallowing efficiency despite preserved safety, highlighting the importance of oral-focused assessment in post-treatment management.

Indexed as

ChemoradiotherapyDeglutitionDeglutition DisordersHypopharyngeal NeoplasmsMouthAgedFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesTongueXerostomiaChemoradiotherapyHypopharyngeal cancerLongitudinal studyOral functionRadiotherapySwallowing function

Identifiers

PMID42365280
PMCPMC13543538

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.