3. Discussion
dysphagia, VF, muscle damage, HNC
DYSPHAGIA
The primary objective of this trial was to evaluate the usefulness of the TP measurement device for dysphagia in patients with HNC. The tongue plays a significant role in the oral stage of swallowing, and a decrease in TP may result in dysphagia.In clinical practice, VE and VF are usually performed to evaluate dysphagia, and their utility has been established.In this trial, we evaluated the changes in TP affected by RT, since muscle damage by RT has already been reported and decreased TP could result in dysphagia in HNC patients.Measuring TP as a new method for evaluating swallowing function in HNC patients can provide several benefits. Firstly, the evaluation of swallowing function by measuring TP will enable the reduction of patient burden because the method of TP measurement is noninvasive, simpler, and safer than the VE and VF methods. Also, it allows easy assessment of swallowing function anywhere without the need for endoscopy or an X-ray device. Secondly, the TP measurement device provides objective and quantitative data that can be easily shared with medical staff to determine the extent of a patient dysphagia. Thirdly, objective swallowing data also helps in evaluating the effectiveness of RD. We expect that an easier evaluation of RD effectiveness will improve rehabilitation programs for dysphagia.Overall, we expect this trial to contribute to the improvement of patients’ QOL.