Functional Electrical Stimulation in Irradiated Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC)

National Taiwan University

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 2

Conditions: Dysphagia

Treatments: Behavioral: Exercise home program; Device: Functional electrical stimulation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00815087

200804032R

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to determine whether functional electrical stimulation is effective in the treatment of dysphagia due to nasopharyngeal cancer post radiotherapy

Full description

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients usually underwent radiotherapy (RT) or chemoradiotherapy(CRT). There were some complications caused by RT, like dysphagia.

In recent studies, functional electrical stimulation (FES) was be used in neurologically dysphagia patients, and there were some positive effects with these studies. Hence, we decided applied FES to these NPC patients with dysphagia.

Enrollment: 20 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Primary nasopharyngeal carcinoma
• Post radiation therapy
• Mild to severe dysphagia
• Never underwent swallowing therapy

Exclusion criteria

• Recurrent cancer
• Neurological or degenerate disease
• Total or partial laryngectomy
• Epilepsy
• With cardiac pacemaker

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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20 participants in 2 patient groups

Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES)

Experimental group

Description:

Functional electrical stimulation: Experimental

Treatment:

Device: Functional electrical stimulation

Home Rehabilitation Program (HRP)

Active Comparator group

Description:

Exercise home program

Treatment:

Behavioral: Exercise home program