| | Joined: Mar 2013 Posts: 40 Contributing Member (25+ posts) | OP  Contributing Member (25+ posts)
Joined: Mar 2013 Posts: 40 | How did the radiation treatments affect your voice? My Dad's voice is very raspy. It almost sounds like he has a cold and has kind of lost his voice. Do people lose their voices completely? I assume how ever much of his voice he loses, it will come back to normal eventually.....right?
Brandi, daughter of:
Jack, age 69, non-smoker, BOT primary, Stage 4, HPV+
1/28/2013: Surgery. All cancerous masses removed. Dad is CANCER FREE!!!
2/26/2012: Beginning of TX. Weekly chemo: Carboplatin and Taxol. Daily RT (about 40 total)
4/25/2013: Will be last day of TX, both chemo and RT
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2012 Posts: 3,267 Likes: 1 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jul 2012 Posts: 3,267 Likes: 1 | Shannette, I never fully lost my voice, and I had several treatmrnts. It was very shallow, raspy for a while, and with the swollen tongue, it was difficult to speak, but does get better. Other things can effect speaking is dry mouth, sinitus, mucocitus, thrush, other oral infections, missing teeth, so treating or repairing these will help. Good luck.
10/09 T1N2bM0 Tonsil
11/09 Taxo Cisp 5-FU, 6 Months Hosp
01/11 35 IMRT 70Gy 7 Wks
06/11 30 HBO
08/11 RND PNI
06/12 SND PNI LVI
08/12 RND Pec Flap IORT 12 Gy
10/12 25 IMRT 50Gy 6 Wks Taxo Erbitux
10/13 SND
10/13 TBO/Angiograph
10/13 RND Carotid Remove IORT 10Gy PNI
12/13 25 Protons 50Gy 6 Wks Carbo
11/14 All Teeth Extract 30 HBO
03/15 Sequestromy Buccal Flap ORN
09/16 Mandibulectomy Fib Flap Sternotomy
04/17 Regraft hypergranulation Donor Site
06/17 Heart Attack Stent
02/19 Finally Cancer Free Took 10 yrs
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,260 Likes: 3 "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,260 Likes: 3 | Some people do lose their voices, and I think it has a lot to do with where the rads is aimed etc.. I didn't but I have heard of others that have. Best of luck... it's not an easy path but it will be over soo and then hopefully on to recovery.
Cheryl : Irritation - 2004 BX: 6/2008 : Inflam. BX: 12/10, DX: 12/10 : SCC - LS tongue well dif. T2N1M0. 2/11 hemigloss + recon. : PND - 40 nodes - 39 clear. 3/11 - 5/11 IMRT 33 + cis x2, PEG 3/28/11 - 5/19/11 3 head, 2 chest scans - clear(fingers crossed) HPV-, No smoke, drink, or drugs, Vegan
| | | | | Joined: Oct 2012 Posts: 1,275 Likes: 7 Assistant Admin Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | Assistant Admin Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Oct 2012 Posts: 1,275 Likes: 7 | At some point, it might help for your dad to see a speech and language pathologist and they could help him with voice production techniques.
Gloria
She stood in the storm, and when the wind did not blow her way, she adjusted her sails... Elizabeth Edwards
Wife to John,dx 10/2012, BOT, HPV+, T3N2MO, RAD 70 gy,Cisplatinx2 , PEG in Dec 6, 2012, dx dvt in both legs after second chemo session, Apr 03/13 NED, July 2013 met to lungs, Phase 1 immunotherapy trial Jan 18/14 to July/14. Taxol/carboplatin July/14. Esophagus re-opened Oct 14. PEG out April 8, 2015. Phase 2 trial of Selinexor April to July 2015. At peace Jan 15, 2016.
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 | A raspy voice or losing your voice is very common with radiation for OC patients. I experienced a sore throat which sounded alittle raspy. It got progressively worse as rads continued. I lost my voice for about 3 weeks around the end of treatment. It came back, it just took a little time.
ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive  | | | | | Joined: Aug 2012 Posts: 214 Likes: 1 Gold Member (200+ posts) | | Gold Member (200+ posts)
Joined: Aug 2012 Posts: 214 Likes: 1 | During treatment, my throat hurt so much I barely spoke for 3 weeks. About two weeks after rads ended, speaking became bearable again. After about 6 weeks, talking was much less painful. Now 20 weeks out my voice is close to normal, but after long conversations it dose start to fizzle out. It's the rads, it stinks, but his voice will recover with time.
Hockey Dad
43, No smoke, Small BOT HPV+16
8/30/12 Biopsy found SCC in Lymph node (removed)
9/19 DX 4a T1N2aM0
10/1 TX 2x Cisplatin 35 IMRT 70 gry (Done 11/15)
PEG tube in 11/7. Out 1/4, Back at work 2/4/13
PET 2/13 Clear, 10/16 all Scopes Clear, 4/14 Chest X-ray Clear, 5/14 Abdominal ultrasound Clear, 8 yrs clean!!!
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2012 Posts: 26 Contributing Member (25+ posts) | | Contributing Member (25+ posts)
Joined: Dec 2012 Posts: 26 | At times during treatment I could only talk for a moment or two. Now, 5 months after last rad treatment, I can talk normally but still a little raspy and have to watch that I don't overdo it. I am or was an amature bluegrass singer. My singing voice lost most of its range and I now can only hit the low notes clearly. Don't know whether this will improve but my singing voice is gravelly and rather shallow (not much volume.
Mr Mike
WM age 69, Stage III sqamous cell, base of tongue (left lingual tonsil), (1) node positive, Dxd Aug 2012, 35 rad treat with Cisplatin weekly, final treatment 10-16-12, CT scan 11-18-12 good result, PET in Jan 2013, good result, Barium swallow test...no swallowing function.
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2013 Posts: 421 Likes: 1 Platinum Member (300+ posts) | | Platinum Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Mar 2013 Posts: 421 Likes: 1 | The voice issue is of paramount concern with me being a professional musician/singer. Almost halfway through treatment and my voice is starting to get rough. My team is aware of my concerns and we're addressing them. My rad map has less hitting my saliva glands and larynx.
"T"
57
Cardiac bypass 11/07
Cardiac stents 10/2012
Dx'd 11/30/2012 Tx N2b MO Stage IV HPV+
Palatine Tonsillectomy/Biopsies 12-21-12
Selective Neck Dissection/Lingual Tonsillectomy/biopsies TORS 2/7/13
Emergency Surgery/Bleeding 2/18/13
3/13/2013 30rads/6chemo
Finished Tx 4/24/13
NED Since
| | | | | Joined: Feb 2013 Posts: 16 Member | | Member
Joined: Feb 2013 Posts: 16 | Jeff totally lost his voice about 5 weeks in or so. He had to take a break from radiation to let his mouth and neck heal up a bit. 5 or 6 days without rads and his voice made a reappearance. He resumed radiation on Monday, but is still talking (voice is rough, but it'll come after treatment is finished.) We were encouraged by how quickly he felt an improvement during his break (chemo was also suspended due to poor blood counts,) so hang in there. It will get better!
Laurie- CG to husband Jeff age 50: Stage III floor of mouth/BOT T3N1M0
Dx -1/18/13 Full dental extraction-1/24/13 1st PEG-1/30/13
2nd PEG-2/9/13 Tx start-2/13/13 weekly carboplatin/taxol and IMRT -
3rd PEG-2/15/13
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