Webinar: Head and Neck Cancer Survivors - Managing Function and Quality of Life

wbcgaruss

The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) hosted a Cancer Policy and Advocacy Team (CPAT) webinar discussing quality of life for head and neck cancer survivors. The treatment of head and neck cancer (HNC) often involves surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. This treatment is critical for controlling or curing head and neck cancer. Though necessary, these treatments, particularly radiation therapy, can cause fibrosis (hardening) of the tissues, neck and face. This is known as radiation fibrosis. Radiation fibrosis can be painful and result in loss of neck movement, inability to open the mouth, trouble speaking, trouble swallowing, shoulder problems, swelling (known as lymphedema), and many other issues.

In this session, Dr. Michael Stubblefield of the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation is joined by Speech Language Pathologist Brittany Boynton and Occupational Therapist Jennifer Maximos Hrdina, all of whom specialize in cancer rehabilitation. The team discusses how to know if you have radiation fibrosis, how medical professionals evaluate it, and importantly, how to treat it. NCCS CEO Shelley Fuld Nasso moderates a Q&A with the speakers after the presentation.

The goal of this session is to help you or your loved one with radiation fibrosis have the knowledge and tools to lead their best life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gQi0RKofgg

Take Care, God Bless

Russ