Prehabilitation in head and neck cancer patients: a literature review
Abstract Background Dysphagia is one consequence of head and neck cancer that has a significant impact on quality of life for head and neck cancer survivors. While survival rates continue to improve, focus has shifted to maximizing long-term function, with prevention or prehabilitation programs beco...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publications
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40463-020-00486-7 |
| _version_ | 1827106364459057152 |
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| author | Irene Loewen Caroline C. Jeffery Jana Rieger Gabriela Constantinescu |
| author_facet | Irene Loewen Caroline C. Jeffery Jana Rieger Gabriela Constantinescu |
| author_sort | Irene Loewen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Dysphagia is one consequence of head and neck cancer that has a significant impact on quality of life for head and neck cancer survivors. While survival rates continue to improve, focus has shifted to maximizing long-term function, with prevention or prehabilitation programs becoming more common. Prehabilitation programs typically include an exercise regime that specifies the exercise type, the number of repetitions to complete per set, the number of sets of each exercise to complete per day, as well as the length of the treatment block. Ideally, exercise programs are designed with principles of neuromuscular plasticity in mind. Methods Twenty-nine original research articles published between 2006 and 2020 were included in this state-of-the-art review and examined for program timing and details. Results Two definitions for prehabilitation were noted: one third of the studies defined prehabilitation as preventative exercises prior to the start of acute cancer treatment; the remaining two thirds defined prehabilitation as treatment concurrent prehabilitation. Exercises prescribed ranged from general stretching and range of motion exercises, to trismus and swallowing specific exercises. The most common swallowing specific exercise was the Mendelsohn’s maneuver, followed by the effortful swallow, Shaker, and Masako maneuver. The most common dose was 10 repetitions of an exercise, three times per day for the duration of radiation therapy. The most common measures were questionnaires, followed by g-tube dependence, mouth opening, and MBS reports. Conclusion This review of the literature has shed light on the variability of prehabilitation timing, exercise type, dose, duration of treatment, and outcomes associated with prehabilitation, making the selection of an optimal prehabilitation program difficult at this time. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T02:04:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8aa4232924f94115bee649c7261afc4c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1916-0216 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-03-20T09:53:33Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery |
| spelling | doaj.art-8aa4232924f94115bee649c7261afc4c2024-09-24T19:19:55ZengSAGE PublicationsJournal of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery1916-02162021-01-0150111110.1186/s40463-020-00486-7Prehabilitation in head and neck cancer patients: a literature reviewIrene Loewen0Caroline C. Jeffery1Jana Rieger2Gabriela Constantinescu3Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of AlbertaFaculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Division of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of AlbertaDepartment of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of AlbertaDepartment of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of AlbertaAbstract Background Dysphagia is one consequence of head and neck cancer that has a significant impact on quality of life for head and neck cancer survivors. While survival rates continue to improve, focus has shifted to maximizing long-term function, with prevention or prehabilitation programs becoming more common. Prehabilitation programs typically include an exercise regime that specifies the exercise type, the number of repetitions to complete per set, the number of sets of each exercise to complete per day, as well as the length of the treatment block. Ideally, exercise programs are designed with principles of neuromuscular plasticity in mind. Methods Twenty-nine original research articles published between 2006 and 2020 were included in this state-of-the-art review and examined for program timing and details. Results Two definitions for prehabilitation were noted: one third of the studies defined prehabilitation as preventative exercises prior to the start of acute cancer treatment; the remaining two thirds defined prehabilitation as treatment concurrent prehabilitation. Exercises prescribed ranged from general stretching and range of motion exercises, to trismus and swallowing specific exercises. The most common swallowing specific exercise was the Mendelsohn’s maneuver, followed by the effortful swallow, Shaker, and Masako maneuver. The most common dose was 10 repetitions of an exercise, three times per day for the duration of radiation therapy. The most common measures were questionnaires, followed by g-tube dependence, mouth opening, and MBS reports. Conclusion This review of the literature has shed light on the variability of prehabilitation timing, exercise type, dose, duration of treatment, and outcomes associated with prehabilitation, making the selection of an optimal prehabilitation program difficult at this time.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40463-020-00486-7ReviewDysphagiaDeglutitionHead and neck cancerPrehabilitationExercise |
| spellingShingle | Irene Loewen Caroline C. Jeffery Jana Rieger Gabriela Constantinescu Prehabilitation in head and neck cancer patients: a literature review Journal of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Review Dysphagia Deglutition Head and neck cancer Prehabilitation Exercise |
| title | Prehabilitation in head and neck cancer patients: a literature review |
| title_full | Prehabilitation in head and neck cancer patients: a literature review |
| title_fullStr | Prehabilitation in head and neck cancer patients: a literature review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prehabilitation in head and neck cancer patients: a literature review |
| title_short | Prehabilitation in head and neck cancer patients: a literature review |
| title_sort | prehabilitation in head and neck cancer patients a literature review |
| topic | Review Dysphagia Deglutition Head and neck cancer Prehabilitation Exercise |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40463-020-00486-7 |
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