General Concerns

Alcohol Intake When Receiving Radiation for Head & Neck Cancer Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," When receiving radiation therapy for throat cancer, can you have a few beers on the weekend when you aren’t getting radiation? Pinaki R. Dutta, MD, PhD, Resident in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the...
Barrett's Esophagus Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," I want to know what Barrett's Cancer is and if it is in the neck or throat?Carolyn Vachani RN, MSN, AOCN, OncoLink's Medical Correspondent, responds:Barrett's esophagus is not a cancer, but people who have it are at...
Dental Health and Radiation Therapy Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," I have a rare Interdigitating Dendritic Cell Sarcoma of the parotid gland and am starting radiation in a couple of days. I want to know if there is any type of protection I can use to protect my teeth from radiation...
Dental work during chemotherapy Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," Can a patient receiving chemotherapy have much-needed dental work?Kendra Schaefer, DMD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Division of Prosthodontics at the University of...
Esthesioneuroblastoma Dear OncoLink "Ask the Experts," I am trying to find information regarding esthesioneuroblastoma. What is it? How rare is it? What kind of treatment is recommended? What is the prognosis for one who has it? John...
Ethyol to Prevent Dry Mouth Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," My husband is a 54 yo non-smoker or drinker with stage I moderately differentiated squamous cell cancer of the tonsil. He is about to begin radiation therapy. Should he request Ethyol to reduce xerostomia (dry mouth)?...
Feeding Tube Placement Dear OncoLink "Ask the Experts," My 73 y.o. father has Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the lymph Node on his neck. He had radiation treatments, which brought his weight down. The Doctor now says the cancer is spreading to his jawbone. He is...
Hot Tub Use with a PEG Tube in Place Dear OncoLink "Ask the Experts," I had a squamous cell cancer removed, via a radical neck dissection. The pathology was very clean, but the 6 cm size of the tumor (growing on my right tonsil) has my doctor recommending radiation follow...
HPV Testing in Head and Neck Cancers Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," My husband is a 54 year-old non-smoker, non-drinker with stage I moderately differentiated squamous cell cancer of the tonsil. He is about to begin radiation therapy. Should he request HPV testing in the tonsil...
Importance of Completing Radiation Treatments Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," My mom was diagnosed with Cancer of the Nasopharynx. She needed to have radiation treatments twice a day for 5 weeks. She only made it through 28 treatments because the pain in her throat was very bad and...
Inhaler Use While Receiving Radiation Therapy Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," My father is about to begin radiation for tongue cancer. Due to respiratory problems, he is unable to undergo surgery. He is on oxygen and uses Advair and Spiriva. Is it acceptable for him to continue these during...
Late Effects of Head & Neck Radiation Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," I had radiation for 8 weeks for nasopharangeal cancer that had also gone to a lymph node in my neck. Now over 4 years later, I have some problems with my voice and breathing. My tongue has recently started cramping...
Long Term Effects of Radiation to the Head and Neck Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," I'm two treatments away from being done with 5 weeks of radiation treatments for head and neck cancer. I am wondering what the long-term effects of the radiation therapy to the head and neck area might be? Harry Quon,...
Management of Secretions Following Radiation to the Throat Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," Is there anything that can be given to help manage thick, ropey mucous following radiation to the throat? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Harry Quon, MD, MS (CRM), Assistant Professor of Radiation...
Neck Stiffness & Pain after Surgery Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," I'm 29-years-old with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue and neck. I have had 2 right neck [lymph node] dissections in the last year; with the second, I lost all my soft tissue on the right side and the...
Nutritional Status Druring Treatment for Head and Neck Cancer Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," My father was recently diagnosed with epiglottis cancer, and he just had his first chemo treatment and the first week of radiation. Are there any suggestions that you have in regards to what he would be able to eat?...
Oral Trauma Causing Cancer Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," I am 28 years old and I have a bad habit of chewing on the inside of my cheeks, on the bottom inside of my mouth and on my tongue. I am really worried about getting oral cancer, but I just can't seem to control this...
Oral Trismus after Radiation to the Jaw Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," Five years ago, I had 35 radiation treatments for tonsil and tongue cancer. It was some time later that I discovered that the radiation had shrunk the muscles that control how much I can open my mouth. I have 3/4 of...
PEG Tube for Head & Neck Cancer Radiation Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," My husband is a 54 year-old non-smoker or drinker with stage I moderately differentiated squamous cell cancer of the tonsil. He is about to begin radiation therapy. He is 6 feet tall and 210 pounds and strong - is a...
Repairing radiation damage to the soft palate Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," I have had nasopharyngeal cancer twice 5 years apart. I was successfully treated with radiation therapy both times. I now have a severely damaged soft palate making it impossible to eat solid food and my speech nearly...
Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Dear OncoLink "Ask the Experts," My father is receiving external beam radiation for his nasopharyngeal cancer. He will get stereotactic radiosurgery at the end of his regular radiation treatments. The doctor said radiosurgery improves...
Swallowing Evaluation after Surgery for Head and Neck Cancer Dear OncoLink "Ask the Experts," Is it common for all patients to have a swallowing evaluation done after neck cancer surgery? Cesar Ruiz, MA, Speech Pathologist at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania,...
Swelling of the mucous-lining of the head and neck after treatment for epiglottic cancer Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," My husband has just undergone daily radiation and chemotherapy for epiglottic cancer. While the treatment was rough, we are finding the side effects to be even more grueling. He has a very thick mucous-he says like...
Thick Mucus after Radiation Therapy for Head & Neck Tumors Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," I am a 47 year-old who had cancer of the epiglottis. I had radiation and 2 years later, the tumor was back. I then had surgery and [they] took the epiglottis, lymph nodes, and a piece of 1 vocal cord. I'm tube feeding...
VATS (video assisted thoracic surgery) Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," Could you give me some information on VATS (video assisted thoracic surgery) and its use opinion for Stage I lung cancer? Joseph B. Shrager, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery and...
Xerostomia After Radiation Dear OncoLink "Ask the Experts," I completed radiation and chemo treatments for head and neck cancer almost 2 years ago. I am now 37 and lead a pretty active and normal life—except, that is, for food! Everything is so dry and...