A Team Approach to Head & Neck Cancer Recovery
Over a decade ago, when I was a newer “green” speech-language pathologist at a Michigan-based hospital system, I learned about our head and neck cancer tumor board meetings and was invited to sit in for observation. When the meeting was wrapping up, I was introduced to the recently hired radiology oncologist, who expressed interest in collaborating with speech therapy for the local head and neck cancer population. The following week, I had my first referral for a head and neck cancer patient, and the program was officially underway. In the years since I started working with head and neck cancer, my passion for working with this population has continued to grow, as does the diagnosis rate and prevalence of this cancer location.
Roughly 3% of all new cancer cases are in the head and neck, with dysphagia (a swallowing disorder impacting our ability to eat and drink) being the number one impacted side effect in this area of the body. When I developed the head and neck cancer program, it was quickly evident that this was a desperate area of need in our speech therapy field, as there were not many providers who treated this advanced form of swallow therapy.
Following a referral provided by the cancer team after diagnosis, speech therapy can get started before treatment even begins to allow for the best possible preservation of swallowing abilities. During the initial appointment, we review the location of the cancer, diet recommendations to keep swallowing during treatments, exercises to complete as able, and extensive education to the family to ensure the upmost support during the cancer journey. Recommendations will be made for additional swallow testing, assisting with medical decision making for quality-of-care needs, and providing ongoing support as cancer treatments conclude. Speech therapy sessions are once weekly to allow you to continue attending all medical appointments, with telehealth options available. We encourage family and caregivers to attend for a team approach to recovery.
It is not uncommon for swallowing to be impacted long after diagnosis and treatment of head and neck cancer, so if you have already experienced remission but continue to have swallowing concerns, a speech therapy evaluation is highly recommended and encouraged.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your head and neck cancer diagnosis or where to go first, please do not hesitate to reach out to The Recovery Project in Livonia. We are here to provide you with hope and guidance every step of the way!
Chrissy Regan, M.A., CCC-SLP
Speech-language pathologist
cregan@therecoveryproject.net