Beyond the Swallow: Patient-Centered Care in Late Radiation Associated Dysphagia

Description

Summary

Late radiation association dysphagia, or late RAD is a unique clinical entity that can result in significant impacts on speech, voice, and swallow function. Patients with this condition initially recover from the acute side effects of their head and neck cancer treatment and then many years later go on to develop progressive neuropathies and functional impairments. For many, this is an unanticipated consequence of treatment many years in the past. As a result, these cases can be challenging to manage for a myriad of reasons. In this session we will review the pathophysiology of late RAD and the clinical characteristics associated with it. Comprehensive patient-centered care strategies will be reviewed and case studies will be used to highlight the complexity of managing these patients.

Bio

Heather Starmer, PhD CCC-SLP, BCS-S, F-ASHA is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery at Stanford University and the Director of Head and Neck Speech and Swallowing Rehabilitation at the Stanford Cancer Center. She is adjunct faculty at California State University - East Bay. She has over 25-years experience working with patients with head and neck cancer, both in the clinical and research setting. She is on the Executive Board of the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance and is the co-chair of the Survivorship, Supportive-care and Rehabilitation service of the American Head and Neck Society.