Anyone had throat debris after radiation treatment

lola5071
lola5071 Member Posts: 18
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
My husband had tonsil cancer (HPV positive) and is four months out of treatment. He had his tonsils removed and 7 weeks of radiation along with 2 chemo treatments (they told him he didn't need the third). The last couple of weeks he has had worse than normal throat pain, troat swelling and his voice is very hoarse. He has also been extremely tired. He has seen both his ENT and RAD doctor this week and they say many times there is a lot of debris caused by the radiation and it can cause infection. They put him on an antibiotic. Next week they are going to go in and scrape his throat and take a look at it. If it is just junk they will go in and remove it all the next week. They told him he would feel a ton better! I'm just afraid it may be something else. They don't seem worried at all. Has anyone else had this happen to them? Is it common?

Comments

  • osmotar
    osmotar Member Posts: 1,006
    #2
    Debris
    I completed all treatments last December. Sometime in Feb I would wake up with what all I can describe as a glob of mucas in my throat, I saw my onco md , she said not to worry, saw my rad doc he said the same thing, at an appointment with my ENT he scoped my throat and said all looks well, and that there was still some swelling from the rads but that is normal and could take sometime to go away, the mucas comes and goes, but I do get a very raspy voice sometimes just depends on how long I have been taking, I sip water all thru the day. Like you when this first started I was so parinoid that it was something else, we all heal differently. I see my rad & onco docs every 3 months with scans prior to the visit, I see my ent every 6 weeks where he scopes my throat, I've already had his 2nd scope and he still says things look good,

    Hope all goes well for your husband.

    Linda
  • lola5071
    lola5071 Member Posts: 18
    #3
    osmotar said:

    Debris
    I completed all treatments last December. Sometime in Feb I would wake up with what all I can describe as a glob of mucas in my throat, I saw my onco md , she said not to worry, saw my rad doc he said the same thing, at an appointment with my ENT he scoped my throat and said all looks well, and that there was still some swelling from the rads but that is normal and could take sometime to go away, the mucas comes and goes, but I do get a very raspy voice sometimes just depends on how long I have been taking, I sip water all thru the day. Like you when this first started I was so parinoid that it was something else, we all heal differently. I see my rad & onco docs every 3 months with scans prior to the visit, I see my ent every 6 weeks where he scopes my throat, I've already had his 2nd scope and he still says things look good,

    Hope all goes well for your husband.

    Linda

    Thanks
    for your reply. My husband finished his treatment in December as well and this week was his first checkup with his ENT. He has seen the rad and oncology doctors numerous times. So this will be his first scope I guess. Makes me wonder if he should have been to the ENT doctor sooner? His CT scan and PET scan were both clear. I have always been paranoid - I try to hide it from him. That's the last think he needs - to worry about me! Will wait for next week and hope for the best!
  • RogerRN43
    RogerRN43 Member Posts: 185
    #4
    Sensitive
    I am almost 5 months out of treatment for tonsil Ca and in the first few months I had some weird pains in different areas of my throat, some lasting a week or two, they all eventually went away. If I don't chew gum and stimulate saliva, my voice gets hoarse. The hoarseness was new 2 months out after a cold and constant for a while, so I was concerned.

    According to my rad onc, radiation has made the throat sensitive and everything takes longer to heal, such as after a cold, irritation from food, etc. He said it is not unusual to have the symptoms you describe off and on in the first year or longer.
    Clear scans, and importantly, confirmed together with a clear scope should put your mind at ease.

    My last scope showed it had narrowed and was inflamed from radiation, otherwise normal and clear.
    In regards to your husband being extremely tired, check thyroid levels.
  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #5
    lola5071 said:

    Thanks
    for your reply. My husband finished his treatment in December as well and this week was his first checkup with his ENT. He has seen the rad and oncology doctors numerous times. So this will be his first scope I guess. Makes me wonder if he should have been to the ENT doctor sooner? His CT scan and PET scan were both clear. I have always been paranoid - I try to hide it from him. That's the last think he needs - to worry about me! Will wait for next week and hope for the best!

    don't sweat it
    Under the circumstances you describe, this is not going to be cancer reoccurance. As Roger said, make sure thyroid is ok. The scope is nothing special, but it will give a better picture of the area in question. At some point, the ENT doctor is the one of preference to follow this up. The rads guy and general oncologist are specialists in what they do, which is treatment. They are not specialists in head and neck.


    Pat
  • nwasen
    nwasen Member Posts: 235 Member
    #6
    RogerRN43 said:

    Sensitive
    I am almost 5 months out of treatment for tonsil Ca and in the first few months I had some weird pains in different areas of my throat, some lasting a week or two, they all eventually went away. If I don't chew gum and stimulate saliva, my voice gets hoarse. The hoarseness was new 2 months out after a cold and constant for a while, so I was concerned.

    According to my rad onc, radiation has made the throat sensitive and everything takes longer to heal, such as after a cold, irritation from food, etc. He said it is not unusual to have the symptoms you describe off and on in the first year or longer.
    Clear scans, and importantly, confirmed together with a clear scope should put your mind at ease.

    My last scope showed it had narrowed and was inflamed from radiation, otherwise normal and clear.
    In regards to your husband being extremely tired, check thyroid levels.

    the queen of debris!
    Has anyone suggested therapy to you? I thought speech therapy was just about not being able to talk correctly.... and then I found out it was much more than that. I had a ton of scar tissue. I did the swallow test and then had two months of electrode therapy with a wonderful therapist who helped me to be able to eat again. I found my voice stronger, I could eat more and it strengthened everything.
    I also had two stretches done.
    I am 16 months out from treatment and sometimes it is hard for me to remember just how tough it was. Hang in there, seek all the help you can find and then take it a day at a time. Try not to get discouraged!!
    Peace
    Nancy aka toughcookie
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #7
    Road Rash...
    LOL, not sure about debris, but definitely some road rash...LOL.

    JG

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