Evaluation of swallowing using videofluorography in oral cancer patients

This paper describes an evaluation of swallowing using videofluorography in oral cancer patients. Seventeen oral cancer patients with surgical treatment were examined. The swallowing data of these patients were detected and recorded with videofluorography images preoperatively and postoperatively when transoral feeding was started. The videofluorography images are valuable to detect abnormal swallowing that cannot be detected by clinical observation. Our medical staff and the patients watched videofluorography records together, and discussed swallowing therapy. As a result, the patients were interested in the swallowing therapy. It is important to evaluate the swallowing reflex with videofluorography images in order to acquire patient's understanding of swallowing therapy.