Social Factors Associated with Patient Reported Swallowing Outcomes After Transoral Robotic Surgery

Monday, October 13, 2025

4:00 PM - 4:06 PM EDT

Location: 127

Disclosure(s):

Shravan Asthana, BS:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Introduction: This study aims to investigate how social factors are associated with the MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) and Xerostomia Inventory (XI) scores after transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for oropharynx cancer.

Methods: Patients diagnosed between 2015 and 2019 with previously untreated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, AJCC 8th edition clinical stage T1-T3 and N0-N2, who received primary TORS as definitive treatment at our institution were included in this study. Patients completed the MDADI and XI questionnaires one year after the date of surgery. To assess the association between clinicodemographic variables and MDADI and XI scores, student’s t-test, linear regression, or Pearson’s correlation tests were performed.

Results: 65 patients were included (62 White, 53 male, average 61.4 + 7.53 years, 40 privately insured. Results from univariant analysis of social factors associated with MDADI or XI scores showed that only socioeconomic status (SES) SVI was positively associated with MDADI composite scores on linear regression (regression coefficient, b=18.42, standard error (SE)=9.08, p=0.047). Therefore, for every 1% increase in socioeconomic status social vulnerability, MDADI score increased by 18.42 points. Examination of MDADI subdomains showed socioeconomic status SVI was positively associated with global (r=0.281, p=0.024) and physical (r=0.285, p=0.022), but not functional (r=0.211, p=0.090) and emotional (r=0.223, p=0.066) MDADI domains.

Conclusions: Lower SES may be associated with better patient reported dysphagia outcomes, suggesting that socioeconomic status may inform sensitivity to quality of life disruptions or relative change from baseline dysphagia burden. Furthermore, there may be higher expectations of improvement in patients of higher socioeconomic status.

Presenting Author(s)

Shravan Asthana, BS

Medical Student
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Chicago, Illinois, United States

Disclosure(s):
faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Co-Author(s)

HS

Hannah Soltani, BA

Medical Student
Feinberg School of Medicine
Chicago, IL, United States

Disclosure information not submitted.
PP

Prerita V. Pandya

Medical Student
Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine
Chicago, IL, United States

Disclosure information not submitted.
JL

Jungwha Lee, PhD

Department of Preventive Medicine Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, United States

Disclosure information not submitted.
Urjeet A. Patel, MD

Associate Professor
Department of Otolaryngology-- Head and Neck Surgery, Northwestern university School of Medicine
Chicago, Illinois, United States

Disclosure information not submitted.
AS

Andrew P. Stein, MD

Assistant Professor
Feinberg School of Medicine
Chicago, IL, United States

Disclosure information not submitted.
BM

Bonnie Martin-Harris, PhD

Alice Gabrielle Twight Professor and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs
Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communications
Evanston, IL, United States

Disclosure information not submitted.

Senior Author(s)

Katelyn O. Stepan, MD

Assistant Professor
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Chicago, IL, United States

Disclosure information not submitted.