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, 26 (1). 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. This study sought to highlight experiences from the perspectives of male patients receiving treatment for NPC in Malaysia in relation to swallowing and communication. Methods: Nine males with NPC (age range 49–73) were recruited from a single hospital in Malaysia. Individual interviews were conducted by a trained undergraduate research assistant and guided by a semi-structured interview guide. Transcribed data from the interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Four key themes were identified: patients reported difficulties in swallowing which led to a loss of pleasure when eating, and a deterioration in intelligibility which led to a change in behaviour in talking and societal withdrawal. Most of the patients reported resorting to religion or finding support through shared experiences with other cancer patients. Conclusion: Male Malaysian patients of NPC in our study report life-changing swallowing and communication difficulties and consequent quality of life. This study highlights the need 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:	communication,malaysia,nasopharyngeal cancer,smoking,swallowing,oncology,genetics,cancer research,sdg 3 - good health and well-being ,/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2700/2730
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)
Related URLs:	https://www.scopus.com/pages/publication...
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	14 Jan 2026 15:30
Last Modified:	16 Jun 2026 16:04
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/101611
DOI:	10.1186/s12885-026-15606-1

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