How long after treatment do the swallow/hearing tests happen?

Loves2read
Loves2read Member Posts: 33
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Just curious what to expect- husband is a little over 3 weeks past the end of treatment (35 rads, 3 Cisplatin for tonsil/lymph nodes) and he is eager to try eating by mouth. It's just little bits, mostly to see what doesn't burn going down. He only wants to try on the weekend when he's relaxed and at home. So, when will the doctor say it's time for swallow test?  How far out of treatment did you have this evaluated?

We've been asking and he says it's still too soon for a hearing test. The hearing is lousy, especially high-pitched sounds like cell phone beeps and alarm clocks. Soft talkers nearby are not heard. And it's difficult to hear on the telephone. Did you wait for Onc Doc to recommend hearing testing, or did you go to ENT dr on your own?

Comments

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #2
    Huh....

    I'm over six years out, had a team of three.. ENT, Onco and rads MD.... Nobody ever scheduled me nor mentioned a hearing test, or swallow test.. 

    Basically, (to me)... he will start trying things when he can swallow liquids or whatever with minimal pain. Myself and most started off with soups and pastas that weren't dry or crunchy..

    As for hearing, some have had issues with tinnitus, but mostly ones that had Cisplatin.., I had Cisplatin, but no problems..., I already had some issues with tinnitus.

     

    John

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #3
    I had a swallow test right at the beginning

    of radiation...but I was swallowing fine, so it was never mentioned again.  The only reason I had a hearing test was because at 18 months out of treatment, my right ear started plugging up.  Nothing was wrong with my hearing, and they just figured it was radiation damage.

    Unless he's actually having trouble swallowing (like the muscles don't work, or he starts aspirating, or food gets stuck going down) they probably won't give him one....same goes with a hearing test.  Unless he feels he's lost hearing, they won't even bring it up.

    p

  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #4
    Eating

    I never stopped eating through both of my treatments; if I could get it down I would eat but it always hurt. My Caretaker Wife did all she could to get me to eat. As for hearing aids It was about a year before I got them,

     

    Tim Hondo

  • wmc
    wmc Member Posts: 1,804
    #5
    Hard to answer because.............

    This is hard to answer because Head & Neck cancer covers so mant different areas and are treated some what different.

    You have the olfactory, nose, oral cavity [ tongue, tonsils sliva glands] pharynx and the larynx. So with all of this being H&N not all would ever get a swallow test. It would only apply to what has been treated. Mine was Larynx or Supraglottic which is just above my vioce box. Mine was removed so I get the throat study before I ever left the hospital and had surgery to remove voice and 86 lymph glands. I was cut from one ear to the other to do the surgery so my swalling was effected. Some one who has it in there sinus won't need one. As for the PET scan most that have radiation get them, but I never had padiation so I had one before surgery but never after as they took all the tumor out. For the hearing test most will get that due to chemo and you will need to waite untill he stops cooking after treatment stops, about 8 weeks. They might want to wait and see if some does come back.

    Hope this helps more than confused; just my thoughts on it.

    Bill

     

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #6
    i hear you and it is easy to swallow

    L2r,

    Eating,  anytime, everything, whatever works.

    Hearing and swallowing PROBLEMS?  Seek help and advice soon.  No need to wait.

    Matt

  • Loves2read
    Loves2read Member Posts: 33
    #7
    CivilMatt said:

    i hear you and it is easy to swallow

    L2r,

    Eating,  anytime, everything, whatever works.

    Hearing and swallowing PROBLEMS?  Seek help and advice soon.  No need to wait.

    Matt

    Makes sense

    Thanks to all- ok, now I understand it's not necessarily routine, and don't wait if there are problems. There is a checkup tomorrow with Onc so I will raise my concerns there.

    With swallowing, my concern is that still there is much pain and all recent attempts to eat anything soft/bland result in upchucking. Those of you who ate the whole way through amaze me, knowing how painful it must have been. I suppose the answer you all have given me is "wait till there's much less pain" to start trying foods.

    With hearing, we have been told it's too soon for testing because there is still inflammation from radiation. That's why my question for "when" to get that done. Thanks BILL you didn't confuse- you cleared that up for me, give it 8 weeks.

     

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #8
    Loves2read said:

    Makes sense

    Thanks to all- ok, now I understand it's not necessarily routine, and don't wait if there are problems. There is a checkup tomorrow with Onc so I will raise my concerns there.

    With swallowing, my concern is that still there is much pain and all recent attempts to eat anything soft/bland result in upchucking. Those of you who ate the whole way through amaze me, knowing how painful it must have been. I suppose the answer you all have given me is "wait till there's much less pain" to start trying foods.

    With hearing, we have been told it's too soon for testing because there is still inflammation from radiation. That's why my question for "when" to get that done. Thanks BILL you didn't confuse- you cleared that up for me, give it 8 weeks.

     

    Three weeks..

    Three weeks is pretty soon more than likely...

    I was mainly on liquids for about 8 weeks or so.. Somehwere around the 3rd week of rads, I switched to liquid, and soft slippery sliced peaches.. That was my meals until around the 4 - 5 week post rads when I started trying creamy pasta, soups, etc...

  • jim and i
    jim and i Member Posts: 1,788 Member
    #9
    Good advice. Jim's cancer was

    Good advice. Jim's cancer was in the base of his tongue so he had several swallow studies before, during and after. As Matt said, depends on where the cancer is located. It takes some time so be patient. Lack of saliva and taste were a bigger problem for Jim than swallowing. Everyone is different.  Debbie

  • thennies61
    thennies61 Member Posts: 285
    #10
    Never had a hearing test but

    Never had a hearing test but did have a swallowing test before rads.They wanted to see what I could swallow and started with liquids then while seeing a swallowing specialist starte soft foods.After rads had another one to see how strong that flap that opens and closes as you swallow was doing.Then when to back to soft foods and worked my up to small solids.AS we move on to dentures will be going to learn to chew and swallow the more solid foods.It's all a process...

  • hlrowe
    hlrowe Member Posts: 80
    #11
    No hearing test

    No hearing test. My ENT did check my ears a few times. I'm 3 years out from DX next month.

    My speech pathologist had my rad onc order a barium swallowing test during rads, which was pretty cool. I could see the pill sliding down the esophagus on the x-ray.

    Your hubby is still "cooking" and the swallowing and taste will only improve from here. It will get better!

     

     

     

  • Super-b
    Super-b Member Posts: 26
    #12
    Everyone will be diffrent as

    Everyone will be diffrent as many others have already stated.

    I can only comment from my experience. I had HPV16+ oropharyngeal cancer caused by the Human papillomavirus.

    Before my treatment started I was given hearing tests as well as tests from a speach patholigest to establish a baseline. In both cases I scored above average (really good hearing esp for an old guy).

    First round of cisplaten changed that for the hearing. I ended up with very loud tinitus and about 1 40% hearing lose in the upper range of my hearing. 7 months out from treatment and no inprovment and i have a pr. of hearing aids.

    As for the swallowing....I was one of the lucky ones that my thoat never go too sore....never much more that when I had the flu so I was able to eat during treatment and right after ....if I had not lost all desire to eat (that and everything tasted like crap....and nothing tasts right even now).

    One of the side effects was that the tissue that allows one to open their mouth wide had constricted somewhat and as a result I can not open my mouth as wide as I once could so i can not have thos extra thick burgers with out wearing half of it.

    Up side is I am back to my highschool weight....got to look on the positive side if things :)

    Any concernes about anything tag your Dr's right away and do not let things slide.

    My 2 cents worth....good luck!

    Bill

  • edreddog
    edreddog Member Posts: 19 Member
    #13
    Super-b said:

    Everyone will be diffrent as

    Everyone will be diffrent as many others have already stated.

    I can only comment from my experience. I had HPV16+ oropharyngeal cancer caused by the Human papillomavirus.

    Before my treatment started I was given hearing tests as well as tests from a speach patholigest to establish a baseline. In both cases I scored above average (really good hearing esp for an old guy).

    First round of cisplaten changed that for the hearing. I ended up with very loud tinitus and about 1 40% hearing lose in the upper range of my hearing. 7 months out from treatment and no inprovment and i have a pr. of hearing aids.

    As for the swallowing....I was one of the lucky ones that my thoat never go too sore....never much more that when I had the flu so I was able to eat during treatment and right after ....if I had not lost all desire to eat (that and everything tasted like crap....and nothing tasts right even now).

    One of the side effects was that the tissue that allows one to open their mouth wide had constricted somewhat and as a result I can not open my mouth as wide as I once could so i can not have thos extra thick burgers with out wearing half of it.

    Up side is I am back to my highschool weight....got to look on the positive side if things :)

    Any concernes about anything tag your Dr's right away and do not let things slide.

    My 2 cents worth....good luck!

    Bill

    HPV + What next

     Just had Biopsy ENT say it looks like Hpv as he has seen several cases,my ? To you was did you have to have any surgery,and did you go to work during treatments? Also was yours located on one side or both. I have not yet started treatment and am a bit apprehensive not wanting it to be worse than it is,I have noticed pain around my ear area kinda like headache was this your experience.

           thanks Ed

     

  • MGC
    MGC Member Posts: 72 Member
    #14
    edreddog said:

    HPV + What next

     Just had Biopsy ENT say it looks like Hpv as he has seen several cases,my ? To you was did you have to have any surgery,and did you go to work during treatments? Also was yours located on one side or both. I have not yet started treatment and am a bit apprehensive not wanting it to be worse than it is,I have noticed pain around my ear area kinda like headache was this your experience.

           thanks Ed

     

    Ear aches

    I had mild ear aches as well prior to diagnosis. Diagnosed wity stage 4 SCC right tonsil and BOT HPV +. No surgery, just chemo and rads. I can't say whats right or wrong on surgery.

    Everyone is different. I am 5 years out and all clear cept some serious jacked up side effects from the rads. Oh well. Callateral damage.

  • MGC
    MGC Member Posts: 72 Member
    #15
    MGC said:

    Ear aches

    I had mild ear aches as well prior to diagnosis. Diagnosed wity stage 4 SCC right tonsil and BOT HPV +. No surgery, just chemo and rads. I can't say whats right or wrong on surgery.

    Everyone is different. I am 5 years out and all clear cept some serious jacked up side effects from the rads. Oh well. Callateral damage.

    hearing tests

    Forgot to mention the hearing tests.

    I had a test prior to first chemo (Cisplatin) Was supposed to get 3 doses of it over 6 weeks. After 1st dose my hearing went down the tube and I got bad Tinitus.

    Had a hearing test before the 2nd dose. Got the 2nd dose 4 weeks late. That did my hearing in and Made the Tinitus worse. Had another hearing test and they opted to not give me the 3rd dose becaus of my hearing. oh well. They siad its ok. I am 5 years out and clean. i use to have excellent hearing and no tinitus. Now i have lousy hearing and bad tinitus. it could be worse. I'll take it.

    hope this helps

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