A new precision radiotherapy technique has proven highly effective in addressing swallowing issues for head and neck cancer patients, according to recently published results from a clinical trial.

 

The results of a multi-centre study across Ireland and the UK focusing on patients primarily diagnosed with HPV-positive oropharyngeal or throat cancers has demonstrated significant improvements in dysphagia. 

 

Traditionally, intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) has been the standard treatment for head and neck cancer, but it can potentially harm vital organs like the swallowing muscles, leading to significant side effects. To address this concern, researchers developed DO-IMRT, a novel technique that minimises radiation to the muscles involved in swallowing. Comparing DO-IMRT to standard IMRT, the trial showed patients experienced fewer side effects and improved swallow within just 12 months.

 

Funded by Cancer Research UK and sponsored by Cancer Trials Ireland, the study included 118 patients across 22 radiotherapy centres in Ireland and the UK. Published in The Lancet Oncology, the results demonstrated that the dysphagia-optimised IMRT (DO-IMRT) group showed significantly better scores in aspects related to swallowing function compared to the standard IMRT group. 

 

Notably, 62% of DO-IMRT patients reported normalcy of diet and were able to eat in public, while only 45% of standard IMRT patients achieved the same scores. The study's outcomes reinforce the benefits of DO-IMRT in improving swallowing performance, as reported by both patients and speech and language therapists.

 

Principal investigator Prof Sinead Brennan, a consultant radiation oncologist at St James's Hospital and St. Luke's Radiation Oncology Network and Chair of the Head and Neck Cancer group at Cancer Trials Ireland, said this clinical trial could make a  meaningful difference  for patients' quality of life.