Table 2.

Estimated prevalence of pre-treatment aspiration and aspiration in head and neck cancer patients

Tumor stage	Study type	Number (N) of patients/controls	Dysphagia (%)/assessment instrument	Aspiration (%)/assessment instrument	Reference
T2 or more	Prospective case/contr	352/104	Oral, 28.2%; pharynx, 50.9%; larynx, 28.6%/VFS, MBS		Pauloski et al. [32]
III–IV	Retrospective survey	79/large normative group	Mild impairment, 28%	Oral, 14%	Stenson et al. [33]
			Mild–moderate impairment, 34%	Oropharynx, 30%
			Moderate–severe, 4%	Larynx, 67%
			VFS, MBS, SPS	Hypopharynx, 80%
				VFS
III–IV	Prospective observational study	27/no contr		41%	Rosen et al. [106]
				VFS
IV	Prospective observational study	22		14%	Eisbruch et al. [88]
				VFS
II–IV	Retrospective study	63	71.5%, grade 1–3; 17.5%, grade 4–5; 11%, grade 6–7/MBS, SPS	17%	Nguyen et al. [107]
				MBS/VFS
III–IV	Prospective observational study	36		8%	Feng et al. [86]
				VFS
All tumor stages	Retrospective study	236	Mild to severe dysphagia: oral, 5%; oropharynx, 33%; larynx, 29%; hypopharynx, 52%		Nguyen et al. [35]
			VFS, MBS, SPS

Contr controls, MBS modified barium swallow procedure, SPS swallowing performance status scale, VFS videofluoroscopy

In part adapted from Platteaux et al. [53]