swollen larynx 4months

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CathyHorner
CathyHorner Member Posts: 29
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

I finished chemo/rad in August. Clean scan in November. I've gone to my ENT every couple of weeks hoping it will be the day he'll take out my trache. Everytime he says my larynx is so swollen it is almost unrecognizable, It's been 4 months and still swollen. The vocal cords are paralyzed too. He says there is nothing we can do but wait for the swelling to go away. Seems like a long time already? Am I being impatient?  This swelling (and possible scar tissue, we don't know because of the swelling) makes it difficult to breath and talk.

We did put in a smaller metal trache which is a little more comfortable.

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  • Ladylacy
    Ladylacy Member Posts: 773 Member
    #2
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    Swollen larynx

    Everyone is different in how they respond to treatment and how long it takes to return to what is now considered normal.  My advice would be to get a second opinion from a head and neck specialist.  My husband underwent radiation and chemo for laryngeal cancer in the late summer and early fall of 2010.  He had his follow ups and in late November we were told he was NED after a PET/CT scan which said there was still a lot of swelling.  He still couldn't swallow and started having problems with breathing in mid-January 2011.  I made an appointment with the radiologist because our local ENT at first said he saw something and then said everything was okay.  Our radiologist sent my husband directly to another ENT doctor.  He scoped him in the office, said he needed another biopsy and that one side of his vocal cord was paralzyed and he needed a trach.  Well the biopsy said the cancer was back and we were sent to a head and neck specialist and he wanted another PET/CT scan done.  Once that was done he told us that the cancer never went away that it was hidden behind the swelling and that my husband needed a larynectomy.  Funny thing in all of this time, no one ever saw that the back of his throat was completely closed off from the radiation, only found that during the surgery and then they had to reconstruct his throat.

    Wishing you the best -- Sharon

  • CathyHorner
    CathyHorner Member Posts: 29
    #3
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    Ladylacy said:

    Swollen larynx

    Everyone is different in how they respond to treatment and how long it takes to return to what is now considered normal.  My advice would be to get a second opinion from a head and neck specialist.  My husband underwent radiation and chemo for laryngeal cancer in the late summer and early fall of 2010.  He had his follow ups and in late November we were told he was NED after a PET/CT scan which said there was still a lot of swelling.  He still couldn't swallow and started having problems with breathing in mid-January 2011.  I made an appointment with the radiologist because our local ENT at first said he saw something and then said everything was okay.  Our radiologist sent my husband directly to another ENT doctor.  He scoped him in the office, said he needed another biopsy and that one side of his vocal cord was paralzyed and he needed a trach.  Well the biopsy said the cancer was back and we were sent to a head and neck specialist and he wanted another PET/CT scan done.  Once that was done he told us that the cancer never went away that it was hidden behind the swelling and that my husband needed a larynectomy.  Funny thing in all of this time, no one ever saw that the back of his throat was completely closed off from the radiation, only found that during the surgery and then they had to reconstruct his throat.

    Wishing you the best -- Sharon

    Thanks Sharon

    Thank Sharon. Some of this seems similiar to my situation. Not really having a problem swallowing, and it seems to be getting better. Breathing without the trache is slow and laboured though. Your husband's story is making me a little frightened

  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    #4
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    CathyHorner said:

    Thanks Sharon

    Thank Sharon. Some of this seems similiar to my situation. Not really having a problem swallowing, and it seems to be getting better. Breathing without the trache is slow and laboured though. Your husband's story is making me a little frightened

    Cathy

    A second opinion can't hurt. That would be my suggestion. 

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