Head and Neck Cancer

EDU 48 - Prophylactic Feeding Tube Placement in Head and Neck Cancer: Hard to Swallow?

Moderator(s)

• VT

  Vinita Takiar, MD, PhD

  University of Cincinnati
  Cincinnati, Ohio, United States

Reported rates of feeding tube placement during head and neck cancer directed radiotherapy vary greatly, from 8-85%. While prophylactic feeding tube placement is still standard in certain practices, the optimal timing and patient population who stand to benefit from enteral nutrition remains unclear. Moreover, optimizing intake must be balanced against the potential for swallowing dysfunction. In this session, we will explore the contemporary rates of feeding tube placement, the patient populations in which they are most beneficial, and the patient perspective with respect to how this decision is best discussed. In the absence of robust, standardized data, this session will provide practical guidance on feeding tube placement, a significant concern for both patients and their radiation oncology care team.

Presentations:

• 2:30 PM – 2:32 PM ET

  Introductions
  

  Speaker: Vinita Takiar, MD, PhD – University of Cincinnati
• 2:32 PM – 2:44 PM ET

  Feeding Tube Placement Can Lead to Long-Term Dysphagia
  

  Speaker: Brittany Krekeler, PhD – University of Cincinnati
• 2:44 PM – 2:56 PM ET

  Feeding Tube Use in Contemporary Cooperative Group Trials
  

  Speaker: Thomas Galloway, MD, FASTRO – Fox Chase Cancer Center
• 2:56 PM – 3:08 PM ET

  Consensus Guidelines on Feeding Tube Placement and Dysphagia
  

  Speaker: Maggie Kuhn, MD – University of California, Davis
• 3:08 PM – 3:20 PM ET

  Prophylactic vs. Reactive Feeding Tube Placement - A VA Dieticians Exploration
  

  Speaker: Katherine Peterson, MS – Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center
• 3:20 PM – 3:32 PM ET

  A Patients Perspective
  

  Speaker: Lee Tomlinson, BS – The Compassion Heals Movement & Stanford CCARE
• 3:32 PM – 3:45 PM ET

  Questions and Answers
  

  Speaker: Vinita Takiar, MD, PhD – University of Cincinnati