When someone gets head and neck cancer, they need help from many different types of healthcare workers—like speech therapists, nutritionists, and physical therapists. This study looked at the guidelines these professionals use to help patients before, during, and after cancer treatment. Researchers found that while some guidelines exist, they’re not consistent across different countries and some healthcare workers don’t have clear instructions on what to do. The study shows that patients need help with speaking, swallowing, eating, neck movement, and emotional support. The researchers suggest that countries without good guidelines should learn from other countries’ guidelines to make sure all cancer patients get the best care possible.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: How different types of healthcare professionals (like speech therapists, physical therapists, and nutritionists) are supposed to help people with head and neck cancer before, during, and after treatment
  • Who participated: This wasn’t a study with patients. Instead, researchers looked at 13 different guidelines (instruction manuals) that healthcare systems use to treat head and neck cancer patients
  • Key finding: The guidelines that exist are very different from each other. Some are detailed and helpful, while others are missing important information. Five types of healthcare workers are considered most important: speech therapists, nutritionists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and psychologists
  • What it means for you: If you or someone you know has head and neck cancer, make sure your care team includes these five types of professionals. Ask your doctors if they’re following evidence-based guidelines. If your country doesn’t have good guidelines, your doctors should use guidelines from other countries as a starting point

The Research Details

Researchers searched four major medical databases (CINAHL, Medline, Embase, and Google) plus their own professional networks to find all the official guidelines that healthcare professionals use when treating head and neck cancer patients. They only looked at guidelines written in English that were specifically for healthcare professionals like therapists and nutritionists. They found 13 guidelines total—6 that involved multiple types of professionals working together and 7 that focused on just one type of professional. Each guideline was carefully reviewed to see what it covered, how well it was made, and how useful it would be in real-world situations.

Guidelines are like instruction manuals for doctors and therapists. They tell professionals what to check for, what treatments to try, and when to try them. By looking at all the guidelines together, researchers could see which ones are good, which ones are missing important information, and where healthcare systems need better instructions. This helps make sure patients get consistent, high-quality care no matter where they live

This is a review study, which means it looks at existing information rather than testing something new. The strength of this study depends on how carefully the researchers searched for guidelines and how fairly they judged them. The researchers used a standard checklist to evaluate each guideline’s quality. However, this study doesn’t tell us whether following these guidelines actually helps patients feel better—it just tells us what the guidelines say

What the Results Show

The researchers found that five types of healthcare professionals are considered essential for treating head and neck cancer: speech and language therapists (who help with speaking and swallowing), dietitians (who help with nutrition), occupational therapists (who help with daily activities), physical therapists (who help with movement and strength), and psychologists (who help with emotional health). All the guidelines agreed that patients need help with communication, swallowing, eating, mouth opening, shoulder and neck movement, and emotional support. However, the guidelines were very different in how detailed they were and what they recommended. Some guidelines focused more on checking what’s wrong with patients rather than explaining how to fix it. For healthcare workers like occupational therapists and physical therapists, there were very few specific guidelines about head and neck cancer care

The study found that some types of head and neck cancer and some stages of treatment don’t have good guidelines. For example, if a patient needs a tracheostomy (a breathing tube), there should be clear guidelines about managing it, but not all guidelines covered this. The researchers also noticed that guidelines from different countries sometimes disagreed about what should be done. Some guidelines had lots of information about assessment (checking what’s wrong) but not much about treatment (fixing the problem)

This review shows that the field of head and neck cancer care is still developing better guidelines. Previous research has shown that patients do better when they get help from multiple types of professionals, and this review confirms that most guidelines recognize this need. However, the variation in guidelines suggests that the field hasn’t yet agreed on the best way to provide this care everywhere

This study only looked at written guidelines, not at whether patients actually get better when doctors follow them. It only included guidelines in English, so guidelines from non-English-speaking countries weren’t included. The study doesn’t tell us which guidelines are actually the best—just what they contain. Also, guidelines change over time, so some of the guidelines reviewed might be outdated

The Bottom Line

If you have head and neck cancer, ask your medical team if they’re using evidence-based guidelines for your care. Make sure your care team includes speech therapists, nutritionists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and mental health professionals. Ask for assessments before treatment starts, during treatment, and after treatment ends. If your country doesn’t have specific guidelines for your type of cancer, ask your doctors if they’re using guidelines from other countries as a reference (Moderate confidence level—based on expert consensus in guidelines rather than direct patient studies)

This information is most important for people with head and neck cancer and their families. It’s also important for healthcare professionals who treat these patients, especially in countries where guidelines are limited. If you have a different type of cancer, these specific guidelines may not apply to you

You should start working with these different types of professionals before cancer treatment begins if possible. The benefits of this team approach show up over weeks and months as you work through treatment and recovery. Some improvements (like swallowing ability) may take several months to see

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track weekly assessments of swallowing ability, speaking clarity, nutrition intake (calories and protein), neck/shoulder range of motion, and mood/emotional wellbeing using a simple 1-10 scale. Record these before treatment, weekly during treatment, and monthly after treatment for at least 6 months
  • Set up a weekly appointment reminder to meet with each type of healthcare professional on your team. Create a simple checklist of exercises or activities recommended by your physical and occupational therapists, and log completion daily. Track your meals and nutrition goals set by your dietitian
  • Use the app to create a timeline showing your treatment schedule and planned assessments. Set monthly reminders to review your progress with your healthcare team. Compare your tracking data over time to see which areas are improving and which need more focus. Share this data with your doctors at each visit

This review summarizes guidelines for healthcare professionals treating head and neck cancer. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have head and neck cancer or suspect you might, please consult with your doctor or oncologist. The guidelines discussed in this review should be implemented by qualified healthcare professionals as part of a comprehensive cancer treatment plan. Always follow your individual doctor’s recommendations, as treatment plans should be personalized based on your specific type of cancer, stage, and overall health. This information is current as of the publication date but medical guidelines evolve; ask your healthcare team about the most recent evidence-based recommendations for your situation.