2020 Volume 43 Issue 1 Pages 14-18
In patients with advanced oral cancer, treatments against cancer often significantly impair life functions such as appearance, speech, chewing, and swallowing. To minimize post-treatment dysphagia in patients with advanced oral cancer, functional reconstructive surgery, rehabilitation, and prosthetic treatment must be comprehensively planned.
We have formed a multidisciplinary team for dysphagia consisting of doctors, dentists, rehabilitation physicians, speech therapists, nurses and dental hygienists. Our team becomes involved with patients with advanced oral cancer before the surgery. This allows for comprehensive treatment and maximal maintenance of swallowing function after surgery.
For over a decade our swallowing team has been formed and has achieved good results. In order for multidisciplinary members to collaborate and form a team, it is necessary to meet continuously and regularly to deepen mutual understanding, and to respect each other’s expertise.
However, the team has grown and is now at a stage where enthusiasm alone cannot keep up the team. Therefore, in July 2019 we established the “Center for Dysphagia of Tohoku University Hospital” as an official organization of our hospital.
