Programa terapêutico fonoaudiológico para abertura de boca em pacientes com câncer de boca e orofaringe em radioterapia adjuvante: estudo piloto

Programa terapêutico fonoaudiológico para abertura de boca em pacientes com câncer de boca e orofaringe em radioterapia adjuvante: estudo piloto

CoDAS, April 2018

29694489

Caroline Somera Marrafon, Leandro Luongo Matos, Marcia Simões-Zenari, Claudio Roberto Cernea, Katia Nemr

Purpose Assess the effectiveness of an orofacial myofunctional therapeutic program in patients with oral or oropharyngeal cancer submitted to adjuvant radiotherapy through pre- and post-program comparison of maximum mandibular opening. Methods Prospective study involving five adult patients and five elderly patients postoperatively to oral cavity/oropharynx surgery who were awaiting the beginning of radiotherapy or had undergone fewer than five treatment sessions. The study participants had their maximum jaw opening measured using a sliding caliper at the beginning and end of the program. Two mobility exercises and three mandibular traction exercises were selected and weekly monitored presentially for 10 weeks. Descriptive data and pre- and post-therapy comparative measures were statistically analyzed using the Wilcoxon test. Results Ten patients (two women and eight men) with mean age of 58.4 years, median of 57.0 years, completed the therapeutic program. They presented mean maximum mandibular opening of 31.6 ± 11.7 and 36.4 ± 8.0 mm pre- and post-therapy, respectively (p =0.021). Conclusion The proposed orofacial myofunctional therapeutic program increased the maximum jaw opening of patients referred to adjuvant radiotherapy for oral cavity or oropharynx cancer treatment.