Research Corner

Most head and neck cancer (HNC) patients experience dysphagia which often leads to a low quality of life (QoL) and suicide rates reportedly higher than the general population. Would you believe me if I told you that it has been reported that the caregivers of these patients have poorer mental health and even more stress than HNC patients themselves? Well, it has been. To tackle this topic, I’m reviewing all studies measuring caregiver quality of life in the solid-tumour cancer population to gather and explore these QoL tools. 

In my next two studies, I plan on interviewing caregivers of HNC patients with dysphagia. In one study, I interview caregivers of patients who have received radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. The second qualitative study will consist of interviews for caregivers of patients who solely received surgical treatment. This helps me gain a comprehensive understanding of the HNC caregiver’s quality of life. For so long, medicine has focused on ensuring survival. But this was at the cost of quality of life. With an increase in HNC survivorship, there will be an increase in caregivers. Caregivers should not have to sacrifice their sense of self or their physical, social, financial, and mental health. 

The findings of these studies are aimed to highlight the applicability of QoL tools to HNC caregivers and provide insight on factors affecting QoL directly from the HNC-caregiver perspective, all of which are stepping stones to treat their QoL.

When completing a HBSc at UTM specialising in psychology, I was always interested and invested in both mental health and healthcare. During this time, I had the opportunity to volunteer in an aphasia group, where I learned the role of an SLP and how impactful they can be to promoting quality of life. This pushed me to the clinical SLP program where I found myself really enjoying Dr. Rosemary Martino’s swallowing disorders course. 

Naturally, I reached out to her to learn more about her lab and volunteer opportunities. One thing led to another, and now I have the privilege of merging my passions of promoting QoL and being in healthcare through these projects.

This is a social media initiative with the purpose of creating an inclusive space to educate and bring together a community of People of Colour (POC). This account provides easier access to information & representation in the speech-language pathology field through the sharing of tips and resources. Additionally, it aims to feature personal stories from patients/clients as well as highlight POC clinicians or health care professionals. We currently have a group of incredible volunteers to translate posts in various languages. More recently, we created an annual merit-based monetary scholarship to award a year-one and a year-two Canadian SLP student who identifies as a person of colour. Check out the SLPPOC Instagram account. 

Just as my research is focused on caregivers, many of the posts for this initiative are also aimed at caregivers to promote their understanding and knowledge in SLP-related topics (e.g., aphasia, voice disorders, feeding development). The other aspect of my research is quality of life. I’m a firm believer that the more equipped a patient, client, friend, or family member is, the better their experience is in their medical/rehabilitative journey. The first step here is to ensure they are informed, and a prerequisite to that is to develop educational materials that are accessible and appropriate both culturally and linguistically.

My first piece of advice would be to start early! Get involved in your professors’ labs by volunteering or applying to be a work-study student. This helps you network, explore your interests, and build your research portfolio.

My second piece of advice would be to take a break after finishing the clinical program. Use this time to travel, rest, and get certified. This will help prevent burnout so that you can come back stronger and more motivated.

I hope my research brings to the attention of clinicians who treat dysphagia just how important the caregiver role is, and more importantly, how caregiving impacts QoL. This awareness, and potentially being able to quantify the impact of dysphagia on QoL in the future, can help identify areas where clinicians can provide more support to caregivers.