More about the research area of ​​ear, nose and throat diseases

Research in head and neck cancer

Research in head and neck cancer focuses on improving both survival and quality of life for patients. We study the effects of surgery and radiation therapy on key functions such as swallowing, mouth opening, and nutrition, as well as how these affect everyday life. By developing and evaluating preventive and rehabilitative interventions, we aim to optimize function and recovery after treatment. Our research also incorporates health economic perspectives to ensure effective and sustainable healthcare interventions. Together, these efforts contribute to more person-centered and evidence-based care for individuals with head and neck cancer.

Some of our research areas

• Effects of surgery and radiation therapy
• Nutrition
• Swallowing function
• Mouth opening ability
• Quality of life
• Preventive and rehabilitative interventions to improve function
• Health economics

Research and development in:

Upper airway inflammation

• Treatment of children with sleep-related breathing disorders
• Quality outcomes of nasal surgery
• Epidemiological population-based studies of risk factors associated with upper airway inflammation
• Health economics

Tonsillar disease and treatment

• Quality outcomes following tonsil surgery in children and adults
• Effects of tonsil surgery, including bleeding and pain
• Development of quality assurance systems for follow-up after tonsil surgery in other countries

Esophageal disorders

• Studies of eosinophilic esophagitis focusing on disease markers, diagnostics, and treatment
• Studies of chronic esophageal inflammation
• Development of quality assurance systems for monitoring inflammatory esophageal disease within the EU

Bone-anchored technology

• Research on bone-anchored technology in the head and neck area, including hearing devices and facial prostheses, such as bone conduction devices (BCDs)

Hearing loss

• Otosclerosis
• Hearing-related quality registries

Other research

• Obstructive sleep apnea in adults

Research in methodological studies

 

As a complement to clinical assessments, it is important to capture and document the patient’s own experience through Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs). Questionnaires and surveys are the most common methods for assessing PROMs because they are time-efficient and ensure that questions are asked in a consistent manner, facilitating comparisons within and between groups. In clinical practice, these instruments can be used to evaluate symptoms and treatment outcomes. They can help patients describe challenges related to impaired function and reduced quality of life, while also assisting clinicians in identifying the issues that patients perceive as their greatest difficulties.

Questionnaires related to head and neck conditions, hearing interventions, and olfactory rehabilitation kits can be downloaded via entq.org.

Examples of questionnaires available through ENTQ include: GTQ (Gothenburg Trismus Questionnaire), MDADI (M.D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory), and GBI (Glasgow Benefit Inventory).

Examples of national and international collaborators

• University of Gothenburg
• Chalmers University of Technology
• University hospitals in Sweden
• Other colleges and universities in Sweden
• Professor Hilgers and Associate Professor van der Molen, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
• Professor Deasy and Professor Thor, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA
• Professor Ward, Queensland, Australia
• Professor S. Rogers, Evidence-Based Practice Research Centre, Liverpool, United Kingdom
• Professor Godfrey, Boston Medical Center, Boston, USA