Experiences of swallowing and communication after nasopharyngeal cancer in Malaysian men - a qualitative study

Sep 23, 2026

Nasopharyngeal cancer is relatively common in Malaysia, especially among men, yet patient-centered research on its effects on swallowing and communication remains limited. This qualitative study highlights the experiences of male patients receiving NPC treatment in Malaysia, focusing on how swallowing difficulties and reduced intelligibility affect eating pleasure, speech behavior, and social withdrawal. It also describes coping through religion and shared support.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Introduction

Smith et al. BMC Cancer (2026) 26:490 BMC Cancer [https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-026-15606-1](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-026-15606-1) RESEARCH Open Access Experiences of swallowing and communication after nasopharyngeal cancer in Malaysian men: a qualitative study Giuditta Smith1, Ting Ying Boey2, ShinYing Chu2*, Caryn Mei Hsien Chan3, Siti Fathiah Masre4, Fuad Ismail5, Maria Garraffa1 and Deborah Hersh6 Abstract Background Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is a relatively common cancer in Malaysia, particularly in men, but thereis 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. Keywords Nasopharyngeal cancer, Communication, Swallowing, Smoking, Malaysia *Correspondence: ShinYing Chu [chushinying@ukm.edu. my](chushinying@ukm.edu. my) 1Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of East Anglia, Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK 2Centre for Healthy Ageing and Wellness (H-CARE), Faculty of Health Science, Speech Science Programme, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia 3Centre for Community Health Studies (ReaCH), Faculty of Health Sciences, Clinical Psychology and Behavioural Health Programme, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia 4Centre for Toxicology and Health Risk Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Biomedical Science Programme, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia 5Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia 6Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin University, Kent St, Bentley, WAPerth 6102, Australia © The Author(s) 2026. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted material derived from this article or parts of it. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit [http://creati](http://creati)[vecommons.or

FAQs

What was the study’s main goal regarding nasopharyngeal cancer?

To highlight male patients’ experiences of swallowing and communication after receiving treatment for nasopharyngeal cancer in Malaysia.

How were participants recruited and interviews conducted?

Nine male patients with NPC (ages 49–73) were recruited from a single Malaysian hospital. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed using thematic analysis.

What key themes emerged from the results?

Patients reported swallowing difficulties reducing pleasure in eating and worsening intelligibility, leading to changes in talking behavior and societal withdrawal. Many also turned to religion or support through shared experiences with other cancer patients.

Sep 23, 2026

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