Heather Starmer Research Lab
Head & Neck Surgery
In addition to providing state of the art clinical care for communication and swallowing, our speech-language pathology team is engaged in clinical research to determine strategies to improve patient outcomes after a diagnosis of head and neck cancer. Our team recognizes the difficulties of going through cancer treatment and has particular interest in developing strategies to help patients make it through their treatment doing the therapies that will provide the best long-term outcomes. We collaborate closely with our surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, and other team members to investigate how we can improve the patient experience of head and neck cancer care.
"Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity.
— Voltaire
Our objective is to improve swallowing outcomes and patient satisfaction with swallowing after treatment for head and neck cancer.
Swallowing disorders are a common consequence of head and neck cancers and the treatments used to eradicate it. Swallowing issues may be related to the removal of structures in the mouth or throat, scarring or fibrosis of the mouth and throat, or swelling of the mouth, throat, or neck. Swallowing problems after head and neck cancer are cited as being the primary determinant of poor quality of life and may be associated with poor nutrition and development of aspiration pneumonia. Given this reality, our work seeks to identify practical strategies to minimize dysphagia and it’s complications.
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Clinical Rehabilitation
Head and neck cancers and their treatments may impact a patient’s ability to eat and/or communicate. Many patients will benefit from speech and swallowing therapy to either address or prevent problems with communication and swallowing. Our head and neck cancer team includes expert speech-language pathologists (SLP’s) with specialized interest in the management of communication and swallowing disorders associated with head and neck cancer. Our goal is to preserve and optimize function and quality of life for all of our patients.
If you are diagnosed with head and neck cancer, you can expect to meet with a SLP before starting your treatment as well as during and after your treatment. Your comprehensive care plan will include evaluation of your current speech and swallowing function, education about changes you may experience during and after treatment, and a personalized therapy plan.