Need urgent help...my brother was diagnosed with tounge cancer at age of 36 back in 1991. He received max dose of radiation along with chemo. Fast forward to today and he has had numerous issues over the years as the result of the aggresive treatment. He has basically lost the use of majority of his tounge, has new jaw, and a feeding tube for the last 7 years. He is currently in the hospital with aspiration pneumonia and is going downhill quick. The doctors said that there is no way to stop him from aspirating. He is having issues with his tube, but even if they fix that, he is still aspirating from his saliva. We are at a lose of what to do. The drs here seem to have given up. We are looking for somewhere to take him that may have new procedures to help him. We are currently trying MD Anderson. Does anyone have any suggestions or experience with these types of problems?

25% off all treated patients have silent aspiration issues. Some have chronic infections and even pneumonia as a result. Too much laying down aggravates this situation as the lungs do not get a chance to clear the liquids. I have had to be put on antibiotics 2 times for aspiration pneumonia. I eat normally when it comes to soft foods, but when I drink liquids, some of it ends up in my lungs. You cannot stop this, but it is hard to believe that he has enough saliva to cause serious problems if he is upright most of the time and getting the bulk of is liquids via a PEG tube. MDACC has a specialist in swallowing issues that may be of some help, as do most CCC's. In most people that have this problem they do not even realize that it is an issue till the first infection sets in or a PET scan reveals hot lymph nodes from the infection near the lung that is being affected. A swallow study done with a fluroscope and a radioactive drink will identify the extent of the problem.

Brian is so well versed on OC he makes me feel kinda dumb and ignorant. You sure do a good job Brian and it's appreciated very much. Thank You

I'm not that smart, I have just been through most of this myself, and learned the hard way. Combine that with researching answers for other people for 6 years, and being asked to speak at cancer scientific symposiums all the time, which lets me listen to really brilliant and smart people explain it all, as a by product of being there myself. Some of that has to rub off and stick even to someone who isn't the sharpest pencil in the cup. You inevitably get the same kinds of questions over and over, and therefore have what appears to be really smart answers.

I never thought I was dumb, I just thought I had really slow teachers.....

Brian


You just have an amazing way of conveying the information and even putting it in laymans terms...Even more so you have the compassion behind it !!


Shar