Hi Shelly,

I am so sorry you are having to go through this. You are right, mucoepidermoid CA is very uncommon. I am assuming yours was high grade by the time they diagnosed it? I had high grade mucoepidermoid CA of the sublingual salivary gland. There aren't a lot of us on the forum with that particular type of CA, but the radiation treatments and side effects are the same for everyone! My RO told me there are about 400 cases of mucoepidermoid CA in the USA per year-- aren't we the lucky ones (LOL!). My understanding from my team at Moffitt CA Center and my RO here is that chemo is not used with this type of cancer as it does not respond to it. Do you still have a feeding tube or was that just for the surgery? As everyone here will tell you, make sure you are getting plenty of fluids and calories and protein! Supplements are great-- protein powder, ensure, boost, carnation.

Where exactly is your pain? I am also going through the radiation. I had treatment number 17 Friday, so we are neck in neck (no pun intended). A week ago I was having severe pain in my mid-neck area with swallowing and ended up in the hospital due to vomiting. While I was there they determined I probably had a yeast esophagitis (even though there was no evidence of yeast infection in the mouth/throat), or at the least a bad esophagitis. They put me on oral diflucan and high doses of prevacid and gave me a magic mouthwash composed of lidocaine and carafate (I am supposed to swish and swallow this one). I'm not sure what did it but within two days I was off the narcotics. I have been fine with ibuprofen since then. Just something you might want to look into if that is where your pain is. Everyone's pain tolerance and response to pain med is different, though. Best of luck to you and many prayers!