Have the surgeons mentioned a feeding tube? If your sister is not able to eat and swallow, that’s probably the way they’ll go. My husband had oropharyngeal cancer and after radiation, scarring closed his esophagus completely so he was not able to eat and drink. Although he eventually found an interventional radiologist who opened up his esophagus, he developed silent aspiration, so he was not able to eat and drink despite the procedure. A patient gets enough nutrition through the feeding tube so that’s not a concern, and it won’t impact radiation treatments. It will be a new normal for your sister, I would think the most important thing is for her to slowly come to terms with it. There are a number of members of this forum who depend on a feeding tube as a result of their treatments. Hopefully, they will see your post and chime in.