Experiences of swallowing and communication after nasopharyngeal cancer in Malaysian men: A Qualitative Study

Smith, Giuditta, Boey, Ting Ying, Chu, Shin Ying, Chan, Caryn Mei Hsien, Masre, Siti Fathiah, Ismail, Fuad, Garraffa, Maria and Hersh, Deborah (2026) Experiences of swallowing and communication after nasopharyngeal cancer in Malaysian men: A Qualitative Study. BMC Cancer. ISSN 1471-2407

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Abstract

Background: Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is a relatively common cancer in Malaysia, particularly in men, but there is little research exploring its impact from the perspective of patients, including in relation to communication, eating and swallowing. This study sought to highlight experiences from the perspectives of male patients receiving treatment for NPC in Malaysia. Methods: Nine males with NPC (age range 49-73) were recruited from a single hospital in Malaysia. Individual interviews were conducted by a trained graduate research assistant and guided by a semi-structured interview guide. Transcribed data from the interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Respondents identified four key themes: (1) “I was too tired even to chew”: challenges with chewing and swallowing; (2) “You eat because you have to survive”: losing the pleasure in food, (3) “I only talked about what I wanted”: becoming a different communicator, and (4) “…health back. That is what I hope”: negotiating life after cancer. Patients reported a change in eating habits, a loss of pleasure when eating, a change in behaviour in talking, and societal withdrawal. Most of the patients reported coping mechanisms such as resorting to religion or finding support through shared experiences with other cancer patients. Conclusion: This study highlights the need to understand patient perspectives of the impact of NPC on eating, swallowing and communication in order to inform intervention and to help manage the psychosocial sequelae. Speech and language pathology services are crucial for addressing swallowing and communication challenges in patients with NPC.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Availability of data and materials: The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are not publicly available due patient’s privacy but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	nasopharyngeal cancer,communication,swallowing,smoking,malaysia,sdg 3 - good health and well-being ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/good_health_and_well_being
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > School of Health Sciences
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Mental Health and Social Care (fka Lifespan Health)
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	14 Jan 2026 15:30
Last Modified:	19 Jan 2026 01:08
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/101611
DOI:

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