This SIG 13 collection focuses on the critical issue of dysphagia in the head and neck cancer population, highlighting innovative approaches to assessment and intervention. Heather L. Warner and colleagues explore the prevalence of dysphagia among Veterans and identify key predictive factors that can inform early intervention strategies. Kimberly Chan and colleagues discuss the creation of a comprehensive dysphagia pathway tailored for rural patients, aiming to improve access to care and treatment outcomes. Finally, the article by Katherine A. Hutcheson and Rosemary Martino, on behalf of the PRO-ACTIVE Trial Working Group, utilizes the TIDieR framework to disseminate effective interventions from the PRO-ACTIVE trial, providing clinicians with practical resources for implementing swallowing therapies during radiotherapy. Collectively, these articles highlight the necessity of implementing targeted dysphagia management strategies to improve the quality of care and overall outcomes for individuals affected by head and neck cancer.

Learning Outcomes
You will be able to:

• analyze the prevalence and predictive factors of pretreatment dysphagia in head and neck cancer patients to inform early identification and intervention strategies
• identify key components of an effective dysphagia pathway program for rural patients with head and neck cancer
• implement Eat All Through Radiotherapy (EAT-RT) and swallowing exercise therapies during head and neck radiotherapy

Assessment Type
Self-assessment—Think about what you learned and report on the Completion Form how you will use your new knowledge.

Articles in This Course

1. Prevalence and Predicting Factors of Pretreatment Dysphagia in Veterans With Head and Neck Cancer: A Pilot Study by Heather L. Warner, Lauren Romanelli, Katherine Adams, Jingyuan Xiao, and Nwanmegha Young, published in SIG 13, Volume 9, Issue 2, April 2024
2. Development of a Dysphagia Pathway Program for Head and Neck Cancer in a Rural Patient Population by Kimberly Chan, Allison Keane, Nicole Fisher, Tonya S. King, Yanxu Yang, Melissa Allibone, Aaron Ayala, and Karen Y. Choi, published in SIG 13, Volume 9, Issue 4, August 2024
3. Therapy Manuals for Clinically Implementing Proactive and Reactive Swallowing Therapies During Head and Neck Radiotherapy: Using the TIDieR Framework to Disseminate PRO-ACTIVE Trial Interventions by Katherine A. Hutcheson and Rosemary Martino, on behalf of PRO-ACTIVE Trial Working Group and PRO-ACTIVE Trial Speech-Language Pathologist Working Group, published in SIG 13, Published online October 2, 2025