Eligibility criteria {10}
head and neck surgeons, carcinoma, head and neck surgeon, HNC, cough, head and neck cancerDysphagia, Dysphonia, tumour, head and neck radiation, Dysphagia, cognitive complaints
CARCINOMA, CHRONIC RESPIRATORY DISEASE, CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE, REMISSION, CAVITY, TUMOUR, DYSPHAGIA
Healthy subjects will be recruited on a voluntary basis from a pool of healthy volunteers who will be made aware of the study (hospital staff and extra hospital parties). HNC patients will be recruited by a radiation oncologist and a speech-language pathologist (SLP). The SLP will explain the study protocol to the participants. All participants must provide a written, informed consent before any study procedures occur. The SLP will carry out all the cough and voice recordings. A fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) will be performed by an experienced head and neck surgeon.Below are the inclusion and exclusion criteria:The following are the inclusion criteria for healthy participants:Aged 18 years minimumLack of relevant medical complaintsLack of cognitive complaintsThe following are the exclusion criteria for healthy participants:History of head and neck cancerDysphagia according to the Yale Swallow Protocol [Dysphonia (G > 0 on GRBAS-I scale [History of smoking within less than one year of the data recordingAcute or chronic respiratory disease (e.g. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma)The following are the inclusion criteria for HNC patients:Aged 18 years minimum.Lack of cognitive complaints.Eligible tumour sites: oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, nasopharynx and larynx. All tumour sites will be diagnosed by a team of experienced head and neck surgeons, head and neck radiation oncologists, oncologists, radiologists and anatomopathologists based on clinical examination, dual-energy CT scan and PET-CT scan.Treated with (chemo)radiotherapy. All patients will be treated with 32 fractions (5 fractions per week) of slightly accelerated simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) intensity-modulated RT (IMRT). Patients who will be concomitantly treated with chemotherapy will receive either cisplatin 100 mg/mMain group (Pilot group (In clinical remission: total disappearance of the tumour (total response to treatment) based on clinical examination, dual-energy CT scan and PET-CT scan.The following are the exclusion criteria for HNC patients:Dysphagia prior to oncological treatmentAcute or chronic respiratory disease (e.g. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma)History of major surgery in the head and neck regionRecurrent carcinoma in the head and neck region