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Head and neck cancer may lead to difficulties in swallowing and /or communication difficulties. The speech and language therapy service aims to support you with the rest of the multi-disciplinary team from diagnosis through treatment and at follow up.

Prior to your appointment

All new patients with head and neck cancer are discussed at a weekly multidisciplinary meeting held in the Kent Oncology Centre to define the best treatment for each individual. The team at this meeting comprises specialist head and neck surgeons, oncologists, radiographers, specialist nurses, dieticians and a speech and language therapist.

If your treatment involves having surgery, the speech and language therapist from Queen Victoria hospital may see you briefly with the surgeon following that meeting. She will then make an appointment with you to give you opportunities to ask questions and to assess your swallowing and speech in order to offer advice and support.

If your treatment involves having radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy and it is felt at this meeting that this would affect your speech and/or swallowing, you will be contacted by your speech and language therapist and if appropriate you will be offered an appointment prior to starting treatment .This may be a joint appointment with the dietician.

At your appointment prior to treatment

While with the speech and language therapist, you will have the opportunity to ask questions and an assessment will be made of how your tongue /lips/palate /jaw and voice are working and whether you have any difficulty talking or swallowing. You may be given some exercises to help tongue and jaw movement and advice how to look after your voice during treatment. If swallowing is difficult a full assessment will be made, which may include a video x-ray called a videofluoroscopy. The dietician will offer advice on easier textures, supplementing and enriching your diet and the speech therapist will help with techniques to aid swallowing.

During treatment

If you require any surgery that involves being an inpatient at Queen Victoria hospital you will be seen regularly by the speech therapist on the ward. Following discharge you will be offered an appointment locally.

If you are having radiotherapy and /or chemotherapy you will be seen while on treatment at the Kent Oncology Centre Maidstone .Your appointments will usually be on a Thursday morning and will be arranged around when you come in for your treatment. Appointments usually last 15 to 20 minutes and most people are seen at the beginning middle and end of their treatment depending on need. Joint appointments with the dietician will be offered when appropriate.

At your appointment you can ask questions regarding your speech and swallowing and we will assess your progress, advise and support you and practice any exercises with you that are needed to maximise your recovery. This may include lip, tongue, palate, jaw and /or voice exercises and strategies to help you swallow and communicate more easily. Some exercises are to prevent future difficulties occurring e.g to keep the jaw and tongue moving freely and to keep your voice working efficiently. Your speech therapist will make an appointment to follow you up after you have finished your treatment this may be a phone review or an appointment in the speech therapy department at Maidstone hospital.

Following treatment

At your appointment we will review your speech and swallowing and continue to support you in your recovery .We will reassess how your tongue, lips, palate and jaw are moving and assess how your voice is working. We can then advise you how best to swallow and communicate and we will liaise with other members of the team (particularly the dietician) in order to facilitate this.