The effect of home-based program and outpatient physical therapy in patients with head and neck cancer: A randomized, controlled trial

Publication date: November 2017
Source:Oral Oncology, Volume 74
Author(s): Tsui-Ling Su, An-Ni Chen, Chau-Peng Leong, Yu-Chi Huang, Chia-Wei Chiang, I-Hsuan Chen, Yan-Yuh Lee
ObjectivesPhysical therapy improves outcomes for patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) but home-based program (HBP) has not yet been investigated thoroughly. This study compared a HBP with outpatient physical therapy (OPT).MethodsThis trial categorized patients with primary HNC into OPT and HBP groups. The patients in the HBP group received home-based therapy once a day for 5 days per week. By contrast, the OPT group received various physical therapies, including aerobic, anaerobic, and stretching therapies, twice per week, plus a thrice-weekly home-based therapy that similarly consisted of aerobic, anaerobic, and stretching exercises. The major outcome was the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy—Head and Neck (FACT H&N), and secondary outcomes were the visual analog scale (VAS) of shoulder pain, 6-min walking test (6MWT), and shoulder range of motion (ROM), all of which were evaluated before, during, and after interventions.ResultsSignificant improvements were found after 12 weeks of the HBP or OPT. The HBP was not inferior to OPT regarding FACT H&N (p=.074), VAS of shoulder pain (p=.677), 6MWT (p = .677), and shoulder ROM (p=.145 for flexion; p=.383 for abduction).ConclusionsBoth the HBP and OPT can improve shoulder abduction, shoulder flexion and functional capacity.



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