Hi there. I finished my last radiation treatment dec 13 2003. Ihave not had a cold until recently, and I have experienced a real hoarse voice for the last 3 weeks. I had larynx cancer stage 2 sqaumish cell. It is not easy talking. Has anyone had this experience????

Just had this e-mail discussion with another member who is 3 years out from treatmet. Myself ended treatment April 2003. Both of us have hoarseness from time to time. One minute fine, next minute sound like heck.

If the hoarseness comes and goes, could be from dry weather, change in weather, or cold, or just plain talking too much. If it's consistant hoarseness, considering your history it might be a good idea to take a quick visit to ENT and have him take a look just to calm your nerves.

If it came same time as the cold, could just be an infection, but visit to the doc will clear that up also, either way.

Good luck let us know how you make out.
Bob

I'm 2 1/2 years out from treatment and still get hoarse at odd times during the day. Sometimes I know it is from talking too much and not drinking enough while I'm doing it! Still get asked why I have such a low voice when I get stuck answering the phone. It amazes me at times how nosey some people are...but it gives me a chance to bring up the benefits of early detection! Three weeks is a long time, though. For peace of mind you should get it checked out. - Kris

The two times I had oral cancer, the first symptom I got was a voice change which occurred about 3 months before the second symptom occurred and dx. Since you have aleady had cancer of the larynx, I would get to an ENT at a major cancer center ASAP. There are procedures now to save the voice box if it is detected early. Unfortunately, though caught early, mine was in exactly the wrong spot to save my voice box. It was also hiding within a fold in the larynx so not readily visible or would have been detected several months sooner. Here's hoping it is just a cold, but I would get it checked out.

Take care,
Eileen

Hi All I had my cancer in 1989 and still get Hoarse. and sore thorat. Goes away when I have Ice cream. Hope you all have a Merry Christmas.
Cathy :rolleyes:

The hoarseness really upsets me recently since I am a school teacher. In these 2 to 3 weeks, I felt so frustrated since sometimes I lost my voice without any reason when I was in the middle of a sentence. Sometimes taking a sip of water helped improve but unluckily, sometimes the water didn't help and I got stuck. I have not experienced something like that after my treatment. My voice has been hoarse and clear at different time but I still could maintain my voice quite stably and it was until recently that I felt an adverse change. It is not just the hoarseness; there seems to be a layer covering my voice, very similar to the experience I had when the tumor grew in my tonsil. Hopefully it was due to the dry weather but what I am worrying about is that something is affecting my voice box or that the radiation is having accumulative effect on my body. Will go to the oncologist next month for a check.

Karen

Hi All,
I too have had hoarsness over the course of the last month or so. I had a neck CT 2 weeks ago. Nothing thank god. Even had a sinus expert take a look at the CT's. Nothing.
Now, I know I have something. Still some yellow phlem, plugged ear, etc. I have even completed two courses of Antibiotics. Nothing. Still very hoarse, plugged ear, yellow phlem. Is it possible to be sick this long? Is it possible to resist two full courses of antibotics? I am starting to royally freak out here.

Hello again. I have an appt with my ENT Dec 22. Oh boy! I saw him 1 month ago and all seemed fine, 2 months prior to that there was a "puffy" area and I had to have a CAT scan or Pet or one of those and all seemed fine then. Now the hoarseness from the "cold" 3 weeks into it and dang I am scared. Has anyone had this happen and all was just fine. Just a compromised larynx acting up?? I am breathing, going to Yoga and Nia and all the stuff I do regularly to keep centered. I feel like I should put all negative thoughts aside as I am silly and superstitious at times. Reality bites sometimes too! Any input, puffy swollen or hoarse still.