Respiratory-Swallow Training in Head and Neck Cancer

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Development and feasibility of a respiratory-swallow training intervention to improve swallow function for people with head and neck cancer (ReST-HN)

• IRAS ID

  335217

• Contact name

  H Michelle Lawton

• Contact email

  michelle.lawton@liverpool.ac.uk

• Duration of Study in the UK

  4 years, 2 months, 1 days

• Research summary

  The problem
  In the United Kingdom, 12,200 people are diagnosed with head and neck cancer every year. People living in areas of poverty are more likely to be affected by head and neck cancers. Difficulties swallowing food and drink following cancer of the head and neck are common. Swallowing difficulties often arise due to the position of the tumour itself (which may be found in the mouth, tongue, voicebox or throat) and after treatment (surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy). Swallowing difficulties may last a long time and can lead to problems such as: fear of eating; depression; anxiety; weight loss; chest infections; and even death. Unfortunately, exercises designed to improve swallowing do not always work for a lot of people. This means we need to look for new ways of improving swallowing.

  The solution
  Recently, new training, which aims to change the breathing-swallowing pattern of patients with swallowing difficulties, has been developed in America. It seems to work well and improves swallowing for people with head and neck cancer. However, this training programme requires expensive equipment and a lot of training to work. We think it is possible to train people to improve without this expensive equipment. This will benefit patients because, if it works, it will be available quickly to lots of people.

  This study aims to:

  1) develop a training package for speech therapists.
  2) train speech therapists to use the programme with patients.
  3) see if we can train speech therapists to give the right feedback to patients during training, without the use of expensive equipment.
  4) carry out a study to see how the training programme would work in practice, using equipment to train one group and no equipment in the other group.
  5) find out about whether the project is doable and likely to work in the NHS.

• REC name

  London - Camden & Kings Cross Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  24/LO/0164

• Date of REC Opinion

  13 Mar 2024

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion