Voices of Recovery: Understanding Speech and Swallowing Challenges in Oral Cancer Survivors
Published in Healthcare & Nursing, General & Internal Medicine, and Surgery
India faces one of the world’s highest burdens of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), predominantly due to the widespread use of smokeless tobacco. While oncological outcomes have improved, many survivors are left with profound speech, swallowing, and masticatory dysfunctions that drastically impair their quality of life. These issues often go under-recognized in clinical practice, despite their impact on psychological well-being, social reintegration, and nutritional status.
Our study sought to fill this gap by longitudinally assessing functional impairments using a validated tool — the EORTC QLQ-H&N43 — and correlating outcomes with tumor site, treatment modality, and reconstructive surgical procedures. We aimed not only to quantify the deficits but also to identify high-risk subgroups who could benefit from targeted rehabilitation or even pre-treatment interventions ("prehabilitation"). By identifying factors associated with worse outcomes — such as tongue and floor-of-mouth tumors, advanced-stage disease, free flap reconstruction, and multimodal therapy — we provide a roadmap for personalizing care beyond the tumor itself.
In a country where patients often present in advanced stages and resources are limited, such insights are critical to integrating functional survivorship into routine oncology.
I am Dr. Abhijeet Kamble, an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon with a strong academic and clinical foundation in managing complex facial trauma, pathology, and craniofacial surgery. I hold an MDS in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and am deeply committed to evidence-based surgical practice, interdisciplinary oncology care, and research in quality-of-life outcomes for head and neck cancer patients.
My work includes publishing original research and rare case reports in indexed journals, contributing to multidisciplinary treatment planning, and presenting at national and international scientific forums.
My academic interests include maxillofacial oncology, skull base pathology, surgical anatomy, psychosocial outcomes in head and neck cancer patients, and mentorship in clinical research. I am currently preparing for senior residency opportunities and further fellowships in cranio-maxillofacial surgery.
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Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery
Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, the official publication of the Association of Otolaryngologists of India, publishes peer-reviewed clinical reports, research, and short communications. It highlights new surgical techniques, showcasing global otolaryngology research.
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