I completed my RAD and Chemo in Nov 2002 and I started to feel normal of my throat in late Jan 2003. However, since last week, I felt real bad sore throat when I swallow. It made the swallowing difficult, just like when I had cancer. I am very concerned now and my next follow-up is in April. I am wondering if any one here has similar experience - feel throat pain again after the radiation wound has been healed.

Also, I had chest skin flap transplanted into my mouth/neck during the surgery, I always felt the tightness and the "pulling" around it. It has been 6 months, the sensation is still very strong, never subside. About two weeks ago, this sensation of tightness/pulling changed into pain, it would take over my attention during day time and wake me up in the evening. I am not sure what happened, is this the symptom of recurrence or it is normal ?

I know a lot of us on this forum went through similar treatment process, did this ever happen to you too ?

Hi WZ,

I can only speak to my experience after radiation and surgery. I am a year out from radiation for tonsil cancer and still have a sore throat when it's very cold outside...and the heat is on in the house. We discussed this on the board a while ago and it seemed that a humidifier will help somewhat. The cold weather really does a number on the throat if you are out in it, and indoors the dry heat also effects your throat.

I can't talk to a flap, I just know that my disection is still tender in places...had 3 days this week with new docs poking at it and it's letting me know - it's not happy.

Of course I can only speak for myself, someone may come along soon that can answer your questions better. We all worry when we get thhose aches and pains, unfortunately that is one of the many side effects of cancer.

Take care,
Dinah

Personally, I don't believe in ignoring anything out of the ordinary, especially something that is getting worse. If it were me, I'd be on the 'horn' to the doctor to get an appointment or at least talk. Doesn't have to be cancer, could be something about the surgery that needs to be addressed or something else entirely.

Anyway, you are going to need peace of mind a lot sooner than April and the only way to get that is to have the ENT take a look. I also find it odd that you don't have an appointment before April. For the first year after my neck dissection and radiation(1997), either the radiologist or the ENT scoped me every 6 weeks.

WZ,

Hope you didn't misunderstand me - I really wasn't saying to ignore anything. From Eileen's response I realize it may have sounded that way. I was only trying to explain that sometimes it's not always the worst case scenerio.

But, by all means, when you are uncomfortable, go to the doctor. That way you can continue the healing with piece of mind.

But, Eileen brings up a very good point that didn't click in my brain cells. WHY do you not have an appointment until April. I am 1 1/2 years out from surgery and my new ENT told me he sees patients monthly the first year and every 2 months the second year.

Take care,
Dinah

Eileen/Dinah,

Thank you both for the reply.


I take turns to see ENT doc. and radiation oncologist for the follow-up checks. I've just seen the ENT doc early this month before I developed that "sore throat". I will see the Radiation doc in March, and then the ENT doc again in April. I tried to call him today about my unconfortable throat, but, he is in surgery all day.

Actually, I have been seeing these doctors more frequently than every 6 weeks. There is always something happeneing between the official follow-up checks. My recovery from treatment has NOT been an easy one. I had a deep neck infection which interrupted the RAD treatment for a week, I had to go to hospital to have the pus released. Another jaw infection occurred right after the RAD. Following that, the ENT doctor was concerned about osteomyelitis, he sent me to a infectious doc., and I was sent to have 20 sessions of oxygen treatment in Jan. Now, after all that, I have this painful throat returned. It worries me a lot, because the feeling is so similar to how I feel when I had cancer.

Sometimes I feel it is difficult to determine whether or not to worry, because I cannot determine if it is a symptom from the disease or purely a side effect from treatment. For example, the tightness of neck, it could be the side effect of the surgery, it could also be a sign of on-going infection.

Now, I had this "sore throat" which I know was not caused by the weather, nor the humidity. I am worried, but if majority of the patients would have this feeling during their recovery, I will feel relief.

WZ,

You have had quite a hard road through the surgery and radiation. And it sounds as if you were/are seeing docs frequently. I'd phone the ENT again and get in to see him. Maybe it is an infection, maybe the benefits of the oxygen wear off (I know nothing about that)

But, it is most important that you feel comfortable and having your ENT look in your mouth and at your incisions will go a long way to your comfort level.

Maybe tonight some more people that have had similar symptoms will be on the board.

Good luck,
Dinah

WZ,

I think I answered one other time but I had the same type of neck dissection as you; however, no RAD. It has been almost 2 1/2 years and my neck and tongue still are tight. I have come to believe, that it will always be this way. It really doesn't bother me much anymore. I do however, every once in a while, get some sharp pains or just a continual dull light throbing. Normally, it is when the weather is about to change or it is very damp and cold.

I would however, call the doctor and have everything checked out. Hope this helps some what.

Take care.

Anne.

WZ, I wonder what makes you think that your radiation wound is healed after just two months post treatment. I am over one year and am still suffering from sore throat. I remember having a lot of blood in the mucus I spat for a few months and then there wasn't any for a few months and then blood again when the weather became dry in November. Like you I was scared of a recurrence. So I told my concern to my oncolgist who immediately arranged a chest X-ray. He also told me that the wound around the neck and throat took a long time to heal up, definitely not a matter of a few months. Even though I am also suffering from stage 4 tonsil cancer, I never had a sore throat before treatment. I didn't have any surgery but the tightness of shoulder and neck is also affecting me.I don't mean you need to put away your worry because everyone is unique. The best thing you can do is to get an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible to clear things up.

Karen stage 4 tonsil cancer diagnosed in 9/01

Youngerag,

I remember you menioned about have steriod shot into the scars to reduce the neck tightness. I am wondering when did you have it ? right after the surgery or a few months after the surgery, I am going to talk with my doctor about it because this tightness is getting much worse in the past two weeks. my surgery was 6 months ago and RAD ended 3 months ago, I do not know when the tightness would stop getting worse. I am prepared to live with the side effects from treatment, but I am not very sure if this is intense tightness is something that needs medical attention. I felt that if it keep going this way, sooner or later it will drag me into depression.

In additon to this tightness in the neck, I also felt painful throat and unusual fatigure, that is why I did not feel it is just side effect.

WZ,

I had the steriod shots approximately 6 months psot operation. Again, it made a world of difference in the way I could turn my head. It also made the scars really lie flat and smooth. I think I mentioned it, but I had a plastic surgeon do this for me. It was covred by insurance because it was directly connected to the operation. I also had a tight throat and problems swallowing about 8 - 9 months after the surgery. My doctor did and Endoscopy and only found a little scar tissue from the trachea that was causing the problem. This has since gone away also.If you need any more information, let me know. Anne.

Hi WZ, Guess what? My husband John just as a few days ago has also been complaining of another sore throat. The last one he had was probably back in December. He does not have a cold, so that can't be the reason he has this. The sore throat he is having just seemed to come on by itself about 3 or 4 days ago (as far as I know)....and it's been bothersome enough, that he has been asking for "liquids" instead of "solids" to eat. He also has the "tightness around the neck" feeling you mentioned. He just had his surgery on Feb. 6 and had the staples and drainage tubes taken out about 2 weeks after that. He keeps saying it's like someone is tightening a harness around his neck. He also seems to be coughing more and that nasty phlegm problem that I thought was over....also seems to be coming back. He just seen the doc a few weeks ago and everything looked OK. He has another appt. for the 25th of this month. Also like you - he finished his rad treatments in November as well. I don't know what to make of this either - I just hope it eases up in the next few days. I hope you will be feeling better soon - and let us know how your appt. with the doc goes.