Kerstin Petersson: Training to reduce swallowing issues after radiation therapy
Swallowing difficulties are a common complication after radiation therapy for head and neck cancer. For some patients, the issues become chronic, significantly affecting their quality of life. Kerstin Petersson has investigated the effectiveness of different training methods to reduce swallowing and jaw-opening difficulties.
KERSTIN PETERSSON
Dissertation defense: 24 January 2025 (click for details)
Doctoral thesis: Radiation induced dysphagia: intervention and assessment tools in head and neck cancer
Research area: Otorhinolaryngology
Sahlgrenska Academy, The Institute of Clinical Sciences
A large proportion of patients treated with radiation therapy for head and neck cancer experience some degree of swallowing difficulties during and after treatment. Jaw-opening ability is also frequently restricted.
For those with chronic issues, eating and maintaining adequate nutrition can become challenging. Some patients also struggle with food and liquids entering the airway, which can lead to pneumonia.
New methods are needed
Kerstin Petersson’s doctoral thesis focuses on both preventive and rehabilitative interventions for these patients.
“We found that the Shaker exercise for strengthening neck muscles did not have any effect on patients with chronic swallowing difficulties after radiation therapy. This highlights the need to continue developing methods to better support these patients,” says Kerstin Petersson, who is a speech-language pathologist at Sahlgrenska University Hospital and a doctoral student at the Institute of Clinical Sciences.
Possible effect of preventive training
Another study examined whether swallowing and jaw-opening exercises during radiation therapy could prevent such issues. Patients who exercised more during treatment showed better results, particularly in swallowing function, but the outcomes were not statistically significant one month after treatment.
The doctoral project also involved creating a Swedish version of a protocol for assessing swallowing function via endoscopy (an examination using an endoscope, a narrow instrument equipped with a camera and light source for visualizing pharynx and the upper airways on a screen). The translated protocol was validated.
“The translation is reliable and can contribute to the field by providing a standardized assessment of swallowing function specifically developed for patients with head and neck cancer,” says Kerstin Petersson.
“Many aspects have been rewarding”
What have been the most rewarding aspects of the project?
“Many aspects have been rewarding about being a doctoral student. I found it exciting to dive deeply into a research area, gain more knowledge in my clinical field, and witness the participants’ engagement in the studies.”
And the most challenging?
“The biggest challenge has been that many patients feel very unwell during the radiation therapy period, making it difficult for some to complete the intervention. This makes it harder to evaluate the training.”
Text: Jakob Lundberg