People who receive treatment for head and neck cancer can have difficulty swallowing at different points in time of their cancer treatment. The causes of swallowing difficulty can be complex and related to multiple factors: tumor growth resulting in injury to normal tissue, surgery-induced damage to the oral and/or pharyngeal (throat) muscles, and/or excessive scarring from radiation.
Radiation Associated Dysphagia
I didn’t have trouble swallowing right after my radiation treatment, so why now, years later?
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Applying for Disability Benefits with Head and Neck Cancer
Byline: This article was written by the Outreach Team at Disability Benefits Help. They provide information about disability benefits and the application process. To learn more, please visit their website at http://www.disabilitybenefitscenter.org/ or by contacting them at help@ssd-help.org.
A Walk Through the Fire: A Resource for HNC Patients
The Head and Neck Cancer Living Foundation out of Kansas City put together a 15-minute documentary describing the journeys of six head and neck cancer survivors from diagnosis through the aftermath of the treatments.
The HNC Living Foundation funded this video to help compassionate people understand the devastation and intensity of the process and to draw donations to help those who have no insurance, are under-insured or who’s insurance simply runs out. The costs of living after the treatment can break a person financially and emotionally.
Watch this video: https://vimeo.com/212089320
Xerostomia = Dry Mouth
Byline: Jennifer Kurtz is a Speech Language Pathologist and stage IV oral cancer survivor practicing at Overlake Medical Center near Seattle, Washington. Her experience has given her an unexpected, yet unique, perspective on the clinician’s role in the management of the Head & Neck Cancer population and has motivated her to advocate for aggressive, collaborative, multi-disciplinary care of all patients across a broad continuum.
Xerostomia describes the subjective sensation of oral dryness and is commonly called “dry mouth.” The typical causes of dry mouth include medications, radiotherapy to the head and neck for cancer treatment, and systemic diseases.
Xerostomia can have a profound, negative impact on quality of life. The lack of salivary production impacts the ability to eat, sleep, speak, and swallow (Lew & Smith, 2007). Adequate salivary flow allows us to speak clearly without our lips sticking to our teeth and to mix saliva with food when we chew to enable easy transfer through the oral cavity as we swallow. Inadequate salivary function can create a number of complications such as: continue reading →
A Newfound Meaning to Life
Byline: Steve Clark from Camp Verde, AZ
In the years since I was first diagnosed with head and neck cancer I have come to one realization. There is no such thing as a “typical” case. So many delicate and complex systems pass through that part of the anatomy that every survivor tells a different story. This is mine. Glean from it what you will. I hope that it may be of help to someone. continue reading →