Cannot eat even after 2.5 months post treatment of esophagus/pyriform sinus cancer

Rk123
Rk123 Member Posts: 5 Member
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Hi

 My mother a breast cancer survivor(happend in 2010) was suffering from esophagus plus pyriform sinus cancer. She had completed the treatment of 35 RT and 7 CT on October End,2021. She still cannot eat anything. When she try to drink water by spoon, she in the begining have saliva coming out but post that half spoon of water goes slowly after multiple swalloing. I still dont know whether her throat is opened or not. She is surviving with PEG/Mickey button for now.

Does anyone also have similar stuff and what is possibility of her throat getting opened in future?

Does anyone faced stricture post the treatment?

Comments

  • Logan51
    Logan51 Member Posts: 468 Member
    #2

    I've been PEG tube dependent since August 9, 2019, and because of collateral damage to esophagus instead of having Rads directly applied to the esophagus. Don't want to bring you down, so to speak, but I should think it's common for people who've gone thru tx for esophageal to have great difficulty swallowing, sooner or later, with the inevitable being a Feeding Tube. I did have one dilation, due to stricture in the top 1/3 of esophagus, and a month later failed the swallow test- but thanks to my Drs. the dilation was a little over 2 years after I became FT-dependent.

    I should think your Dr. and the Esophageal Forum would know more than I do by a long shot, and I would make inquiries from both. Know a lady who was not a C Patient who has had close to a dozen dilations, for what it is worth.

    Tell your Mom that if it doesn't go down to her stomach, then it went down into her lungs and that brings aspiration into play. Lungs can handle water to a degree, but not food stuff.

  • wbcgaruss
    wbcgaruss Member Posts: 2,464 Member
    edited January 2022 #3
    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/324660/cannot-eat-even-after-2-5-months-post-treatment-of-esophagus-pyriform-sinus-cancer

    Hello and welcome and I am sorry your mom is having swallowing difficulties. I think it is just going to take more time for your mother to be able to swallow again. Was she set up with a speech therapist before or during her treatment? They would have given her swallowing exercises to keep her swallowing ability functional. If not have her see one now to evaluate her. I see it is about 3 months since your mom finished treatment and may just need more time for the swelling and irritation to go down for food to go through. I myself could not swallow food down for 4 to 5 months after treatment. And I have seen others on this forum over the years that have gone 8 months to a year or more even depending on their case. I think your mom will eat again but it takes time. As per her individual case contact her cancer team, they know exactly the treatment she had and can tell you if she should be able to eat yet. My guess is they will tell you to be patient and it is going to take a bit longer. Also after my treatment I was seeing my ENT every month and getting scoped to keep watch on my situation, is she seeing an ENT, if not maybe she should be. Your ENT is usually considered your front line guy that you see continually after treatment usually every month for up to a year and then it will be extended to 3 months or six months. And after that once a year maybe till you get to somewhere around the 5-year mark post-treatment. I hope this helps you and I would say get with her care team to start getting info and asking questions. Below is a swallowing anatomy video that shows the swallowing process and you can see how it all works and that it is really a complex process that we all take for granted.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBbNxM7g2vg

    Also, they may recommend a swallowing test for your mom at some point.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRvYL_TAtKI

    Wishing you the best-Take care-God Bless-Russ

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