Head, Neck & Thyroid Cancer Information
Head and Neck Radiation Treatment and Your Mouth
While head and neck radiation helps treat cancer, it can also cause other things to happen in your mouth called side effects. Some of these problems could cause you to delay or stop treatment. This information will tell you ways to help prevent mouth problems so you’ll get the most from your cancer treatment. To help prevent serious problems, see a dentist at least 2 weeks before starting radiation.
General Information About Thyroid Cancer
Thyroid cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the thyroid gland. The thyroid is a gland at the base of the throat near the trachea (windpipe). It is shaped like a butterfly, with a right lobe and a left lobe. The isthmus, a thin piece of tissue, connects the two lobes. A healthy thyroid is a little larger than a quarter. It usually cannot be felt through the skin.
Managing Speech and Swallowing Difficulties Resulting from Head and Neck Cancer
by Jan S. Lewin, PhD
Head and neck cancer often results in significant functional changes in speech, voice, and swallowing. These problems can occur as a result of the disease but also because of the treatment. It is important to have a thorough and realistic understanding of the functional effects of treatment because the restoration of communication and the ability to swallow may be critical to your treatment decision.
Finding a New Normal after Esophageal Cancer
by Penny Damaskos, LCSW, OSW-C
Survival rates for all cancers are on the rise, including those for people diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Esophageal cancer survivors face many of the same quality of life issues that all cancer survivors face: the need to make adjustments in the physical, psychological, and practical realms.
