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

NCT ID NCT06192771

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.

Disclaimer Read more

This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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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.

Contacts and locations

Study contacts

  • Contact

    Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••

Locations

  • University Health Network

    RECRUITING

    Toronto, Ontario, M5G2C4, Canada

    Contact Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••