Can early speech therapy help cancer patients swallow and speak better after surgery?

NCT ID NCT06192771

Recruiting now Symptom relief Sponsor: University Health Network, Toronto Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study looks at whether starting speech and swallowing therapy early — before and just after surgery — can help people with head and neck cancer recover better. Forty patients will either get early therapy sessions with a speech-language pathologist or the usual care. The main goal is to see if a larger trial is possible, not yet to measure health benefits.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: early speech-language pathology sessions (behavioral intervention)
What this could lead to: If this approach works, it could lead to a standard early therapy program that helps patients recover swallowing and speech faster after surgery.
What could go wrong: This is a small feasibility study with only 40 people, so it cannot prove the therapy works. It is designed to see if a larger trial is possible, not to measure health outcomes.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Deglutition Disorders head and neck cancer Head and Neck Neoplasms Speech tongue squamous cell carcinoma

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

DYSPHAGIA HEAD AND NECK CANCER

Contacts and locations

Locations

University Health Network
RECRUITING

Toronto, Ontario, M5G2C4, Canada

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