Improving nasal-sounding speech and swallowing in head and neck cancer survivors with velopharyngeal dysfunction

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This is a prospective, single-site pilot that uses multidisciplinary, multimodal assessments to characterize velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD) in head and neck cancer survivors. Participants undergo physical exam, flexible nasolaryngoscopy, speech recordings and acoustic analysis, nasometry, clinical swallowing evaluation, and fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). A subset with confirmed VPD will receive pharyngeal wall augmentation as part of routine clinical care, with pre- and post-intervention comparisons of speech, swallowing, and patient-reported outcomes. The study also aims to determine prevalence and to test the diagnostic usefulness of advanced measures like nasometry in this population.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

English-speaking adults (≥18 years) History of head and neck cancer treated with surgical resection, chemoradiation, or both Presence of perceptual hypernasality on clinical assessment

Exclusion Criteria:

Pre-existing or suspected non-cancer-related causes of velopharyngeal dysfunction Contraindications to pharyngeal wall augmentation Requirement for more intensive active cancer surveillance Planned future surgical or medical treatments to the pharynx that would interfere with participation

Where it's running

• University of Virginia
  Charlottesville, Virginia, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Vanessa Torrecillas, MD — University of Virginia
• Study coordinator: Vanesssa Torrecillas, MD
• Email: vge3bm@uvahealth.org
• Phone: 434-924-2040

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.