Dysphagia | all patientsa
| without PEG at start of RT |
n | % (n = 75) | n | % (n = 50) |
grade 0 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 14 |
grade 1 | 22 | 29 | 22 | 44 |
grade 2 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 14 |
grade 3 | 39 | 52 | 14 | 28 |
PEG | prior or during RT | long term after RT |
n | % | n | % |
postoperativeb
| 13 | 17 | 5 | 38 |
prophylacticc
| 12 | 16 | 2 | 17 |
symptomaticd
| 7 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
nonee
| 43 | 57 | 4f
| 9 |
-
PEG percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube, RT radiation therapy, a: all patients with PEG during RT regardless of reason for placement or use scored as grade 3 dysphagia, b: patients who received PEG postoperatively due to aspiration or persistent dysphagia until initiation of RT, c: patient who received PEG for prophylactic reasons prior to initiation of RT on discretion of the treating radiation oncologist, d: patients who received PEG during RT due to dysphagia, e: patients who did not receive a PEG during the whole course of RT, fpatients who needed PEG due to development of late dysphagia after completion of the full RT course