Radiation dose to the tongue and velopharynx predicts acoustic-articulatory changes after chemo-IMRT treatment for advanced head and neck cancer

I. Jacobi, A. Navran, L. van der Molen, W.D. Heemsbergen, F.J.M. Hilgers, M.W.M. van den Brekel

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate to what extent changes in speech after C-IMRT treatment are related to mean doses to the tongue and velopharynx (VP). In 34 patients with advanced hypopharyngeal, nasopharyngeal, or oropharyngeal cancer, changes in speech from pretreatment to 10 weeks and 1 year posttreatment were correlated with mean doses to the base of tongue (BOT), oral cavity (OC) and tonsillar fossa/soft palate (VP). Differences in anteroposterior tongue position, dorsoventral degree of tongue to palate or pharynx constriction, grooving, strength, nasality, and laryngeal rise, were assessed by acoustic changes in three speech sounds that depend on a (post-) alveolar closure or narrowing (/t/, /s/, /z/), three with a tongue to palate/pharyngeal narrowing (/l/, /r/, /u/), and in vowel /a/ at comfortable and highest pitch. Acoustically assessed changes in tongue positioning, shape, velopharyngeal constriction, and laryngeal elevation were significantly related to mean doses to the tongue and velopharynx. The mean dose to BOT predicted changes in anteroposterior tongue positioning from pre- to 10-weeks posttreatment. From pretreatment to 1-year, mean doses to BOT, OC, and VP were related to changes in grooving, strength, laryngeal height, nasality, palatalization, and degree of pharyngeal constriction. Changes in speech are related to mean doses to the base of tongue and velopharynx. The outcome indicates that strength, motility, and the balance between agonist and antagonist muscle forces change significantly after radiotherapy.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)487-494
Number of pages8
JournalEuropean Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology
Volume273
Issue number2
Early online date1 Feb 2015
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2016

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