This phase II trial studies how well a web-based program called Project Prepare works in helping patients with head and neck cancer adhere to swallowing and trismus exercises and coping strategies. Head and neck cancer patients who receive radiation therapy are at risk for permanent swallowing disorders and other side effects. Because of these potential problems, swallowing exercises and coping strategies are important parts of recovery. A web-based program designed to increase adherence to preventive exercises may help patients with head and neck cancer ameliorate the long-term effects of radiation therapy.
Receiving radiation treatment with curative intent for throat cancer
Can read and speak English or Spanish well enough to answer our questionnaires and understand our website content.
None
Single group
Internet-Based Intervention
Other interventionUse Project Prepare website
Quality-of-Life Assessment
Other interventionAncillary studies
Questionnaire Administration
Other interventionAncillary studies
Changes in self-reported swallowing function
Assessed with the MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI). Will first test for changes in self-reported swallowing function outcome with the MDADI between baseline and follow-up using one-tailed paired t-tests. Correlations and multivariate analyses regressing self-reported adherence to exercises against self-reported swallowing function will be analyzed similarly and appropriately.
Website usage data
Piwik analytics will be used to record usage data regarding patient engagement with the website (e.g. whether the patient looked at the website that week, number of minutes and number of navigations and pages visited).
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M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Lead sponsor
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Collaborator
