Is it possible to treat lip cancer?
In this disease, the main treatment of which is surgery, the probability of recovery is quite high, especially when diagnosed in the early stages. In more advanced stages, survival rates may decrease depending on the spread of the disease.
What is the process like after laryngeal cancer surgery?
The patient who has had partial or full laryngeal surgery will begin to regain his health from the first day after the surgery. Day by day, unnecessary items such as drains in the neck area (the device that removes blood and fluid accumulation in the operating field), various catheters, tubes and pipes, and tracheotomy cannulas, if any, are eliminated. He can be fed orally, and if a full laryngeal surgery has not been performed, discharge will be on the agenda after he can breathe through his nose and mouth.
As the pathology examinations of the tissues removed during the surgery are completed, the spread of the disease in the larynx and neck and its exact stage will be revealed. Then, the ear, nose and throat and head and neck surgeon; The condition of most of the patients is discussed in a medical council, which includes the radiologist and nuclear medicine specialist who perform the imaging procedures, the radiation oncologist who will apply radiotherapy, and the medical oncologist who will administer chemotherapy. Additional treatment decisions (radiotherapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy) are usually made at these meetings, depending on the spread and stage of the postoperative disease.
If the decision for radiotherapy and chemotherapy has been made, the patient is first expected to overcome the difficulties caused by the surgery before the treatment can begin. This period lasts approximately one to two months.
What is the follow-up like after throat cancer surgery?
Patients should be followed by the doctor who performed the surgery for five years after the surgery for throat cancer. It would be appropriate to come for check-ups every three months in the first year and every six months in the following years.
If the patient has received radiotherapy and chemotherapy, he or she should also be under the control of a medical oncologist and radiotherapy specialists. In these follow-ups, it is determined whether the disease has returned in the larynx and neck, as well as whether a new bad disease has started in organs such as the mouth, esophagus and lungs due to the smoking that most patients have used in the past.
What should be done to minimize the possibility of cancer recurrence?
The first year is the period when the probability of recurrence of the disease is highest. This possibility gradually decreases over the years. According to a generally accepted view, recurrence of the disease after the fifth year is not considered as a recurrence (coming back), but as the emergence of a new disease in the same or nearby area.
Sometimes, treatments such as surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are not considered complete. Even after it has been applied properly, the disease may return. In other words, doing everything that needs to be done does not eliminate the possibility of the disease recurring, but minimizes it. The return of the disease does not mean that hope is completely lost. The important thing is to recognize when the disease recurs when it is at a treatable stage and to take the necessary additional precautions. At this point, it becomes important for the patient not to skip regular check-ups and have the requested examinations performed. In addition, after the treatment process, which involves some difficulties and troubles, is completed, it is of great importance for the patient to return to social life, start doing his daily activities, and return to work life if he is working.
Eating natural products without overdoing it, fresh vegetables and fruits in the menu. Having all kinds of food, including healthy food, doing enough physical exercise, spending time on activities that will keep morale and psychological state high, and being together with loved ones are the things that most doctors who deal with the treatment of such diseases recommend to their patients.
Smoking and alcohol use not only play a role in the formation of the disease, but will also be effective in its return. It is mandatory for patients to get rid of these habits, if any. Relatives of patients have a great responsibility in this regard. If the patient cannot get rid of these habits on his own, he should not hesitate to seek help from psychiatrists and psychologists.
Most patients resort to some herbal products after cancer treatments to prevent the recurrence of the disease they fear. The important thing here is to know that these products – especially when used excessively – can cause some serious health problems. My suggestion as a doctor; natural, If possible, it is to consume all kinds of vegetables and fruits judiciously that have not been exposed to pesticides.
What should be done if throat cancer recurs?
As a basic treatment alone or as an additional treatment method in the post-operative period. Sometimes additional doses of radiotherapy may be possible for patients who have previously received radiotherapy (especially if a long time has passed since radiotherapy).
If the patient cannot be operated on again, the importance of additional doses of radiotherapy becomes even greater. Irradiation through brachytherapy (placing small tubes containing radioactive substances called 'implants' around the tumor for a certain period of time) can also be applied as an option in case the disease returns. Additionally, the chemotherapy option remains valid in case of recurrence.
What will the voice and speech be like after throat cancer surgery?
The organ that creates the voice is the larynx. The raw sound formed in the larynx turns into letters, words and sentences thanks to our pharynx, palate, tongue and lips. Partial or full larynx surgeries are bound to affect voice and speech function. Especially in the postoperative days, the speech function of the patients is seriously affected, especially if the procedure called tracheotomy is performed by opening a hole in the windpipe and inserting a tube.
In laryngeal surgeries performed without opening a longitudinal hole; After recovering from the effect of anesthesia, the patient can make a voice and speak, although it may be a little hoarse.
In partial laryngeal surgeries performed by opening a temporary longitudinal hole (partial laryngectomy); The patient's ability to make sounds and speak may be slightly delayed. The patient can make sounds by closing the tube called 'tracheostomy cannula' with his finger until the hole is completely closed. After healing is achieved and the hole in the front of the neck is closed, the patient can breathe through the mouth and nose and speak easily, even if his voice is a little hoarse.
In total larynx surgery (total laryngectomy), which is performed by opening a permanent hole in the neck, the patient is able to make sounds and It will take longer to speak. The patient is expected to develop speech, called 'esophageal speech', which he achieves by expelling the air he swallows. For patients who cannot achieve this, there is an opening between the trachea and the esophagus. A device called 'voice prosthesis' has been developed that is placed in the hole.
This directs the air coming out of the lungs through the trachea to the esophagus, and the raw sound created in the pharynx of the patient whose larynx has been removed turns into speech through the tongue, palate, teeth and lips. This voice will be different from the patient's old voice, but it will also enable the patient to communicate easily with the outside world.
What is the nutrition like after throat cancer surgery?
Patients who have undergone throat cancer surgery may need more than one day, depending on the type of surgery. They spend up to one to two weeks without eating or drinking.
During this period, patients;
- Sometimes with special nutritional fluids intravenously,
- Sometimes through the nose to the stomach. With the help of a 'nasogastric' catheter-tube that extends,
- With the help of a tube placed through the abdominal skin into the stomach,
- Patients who undergo total laryngectomy surgery sometimes have a catheter extending from the back of the tracheostomy hole in the neck to the esophagus. They receive the necessary food and fluid with the help of a tube (which will later be replaced by a speech prosthesis).
They receive the necessary food and fluid.
In the first days of oral feeding after half-larynx surgery, food and fluid are transferred into the trachea. Cough is a condition that may occur due to escaping drinks. Most often, within weeks, the patient learns to swallow without leaking into the windpipe and becomes able to take enough solid and liquid food.
After the wounds heal, the patient can start to be fed orally, primarily with liquid and soft foods. When they are discharged, almost all patients are able to eat all kinds of food prepared at home and enjoy the taste of what they eat.
Are there any taste and smell problems after laryngeal cancer treatment?
Partial or complete larynx. Surgeries do not affect taste buds much. However, if the patient receives radiotherapy, he or she may experience problems with taste. You can get more detailed information on this subject from your radiation oncology specialist.
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