107 6 Introduction Following treatment for head and neck cancer (HNC), patients may experience major problems in masticatory function, which may lead to physical and emotional dysfunctioning as well.1 Many factors can influence the masticatory process, such as dentition, bite force, amount and composition of saliva, and neuromuscular control of chewing and swallowing.2 Treatment may result in deterioration of dentition and mastication, which can still be present 5 years after oncological intervention.3 Deficiencies in masticatory function may lead to changes in diet, because some foods become troublesome to eat. Malnutrition may be associated with dysphagia, and can influence quality of life in those patients.4 After treatment for HNC, the type of treatment results in different deficiencies in masticatory performance. Surgery can result in disabling alterations of functional components needed for occlusion, such as the mandible, temporomandibular joint (TMJ), muscles of mastication, or teeth.5 Radiotherapy (RT) often mandates the extraction of teeth, which require replacement after treatment, often resulting in decreased masticatory function. In addition, radiation dose can affect the muscles of mastication and the TMJ by decreasing the range of motion of the mandible, resulting in a decreased mouth opening and restricting the size of the food bolus.5 When salivary glands are included in the radiation field, varying degrees of xerostomia can be observed, which adversely affect the maintenance of teeth, and the formation and manipulation of the food bolus. Chemotherapy (CT) can cause mucositis, xerostomia, tooth loss, chewing difficulty, and neurotoxicity, which can restrict masticatory function as well.5,6 In order to reduce the risk of masticatory dysfunction before and after curative treatment for HNC, it is important to identify factors affecting masticatory performance. With the help of an associative model, patients in potential need of oral rehabilitation during or after treatment for HNC can be identified. Previous studies that focus on masticatory function, use trismus or patient-reported outcomes as outcome measure, or investigate only a subgroup of patients (e.g., patients with oral cancer or patients treated with surgery).3,7-9 To our knowledge, objective measures in patients with head and neck cancer and with different treatment modalities have not been performed yet. In addition, the course of masticatory function before and after treatment for patients with head and neck cancer has not been described. The aim of this prospective study was therefore to identify personal and clinical factors associated with objective masticatory function in patients with head and neck cancer before, and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after treatment. In addition, the prevalence of masticatory dysfunction before and after treatment was assessed.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjY0ODMw