Cancer and its treatments damage body in different ways. Sometimes, even after the treatment is over, the problems persist for a long time and even forever. For example, chemotherapy may impair a patient’s cognitive abilities, digestive function and hearing power.
For head and neck cancer patients, cancer and the treatment side effects often bring complications into two vital functions – speaking and swallowing. However, we are grateful to modern science that the oncologists now have new-age therapies and advanced devices to recover the lost voice in patients with head and neck cancer.
“The major concern of the head and neck cancer patients is if they will be able to speak like before”, an oncologist from the best cancer treatment hospital in Kolkata says. They sound also concerned about how they will be going to swallow the consumable stuffs. “You can definitely eat but differently”, I assure them.
Head and Neck Cancer – Treatments and Side Effects
Like many types of cancer, head and neck cancer treatments include radiation therapy, chemotherapy and surgery. These treatments may cause loss of voice and other challenging side effects in patients, particularly with laryngeal cancer. The patients may find it difficult to swallow or even to eat.
The vocal cords comprise two thin strands of tissue in the larynx, also known as the voice box. When the air passes through the cords, they vibrate and produce sounds. Vocal cords perform other functions too. They help with airflow regulation in and out of our lungs and prevent saliva and food from getting into the airways.
Radiation therapy may affect the vocal cords and even the strands of tissue may become stiff. These may result into any or many of the followings:
- These may fail to close properly and protect the air passage.
- Stiff cords may produce a raspy or hoarse voice.
- Patients may not be able to swallow easily.
“Some patients cope up with the challenges overtime. However, some patients decide to undergo surgery after consultation with their cancer care team”, says a head and neck cancer surgeon at the best cancer hospital in West Bengal.
Actually, some people don’t mind getting a raspy or hoarse voice after cancer treatment if they don’t feel any trouble swallowing. But if the patients find it difficult to swallow, they usually prefer undergoing a surgery.
Surgery is performed to remove the malignant tumours and tissues. Plastic surgeons may restore some features to better the patient’s appearance and/or repair the damaged parts. The head and neck cancer specialists many recommend one of the following surgical options to treat the disease:
- Cordectomy
- Supraglotttic Laryngectomy
- Total Laryngectomy
- Partial Laryngectomy
- Hemilaryngectomy
Chemotherapy drugs may damage the patient’s ability to speak and/or swallow. But they find more trouble eating. Chemotherapy inflicts several side effects, of which, the following three are most common:
- Metallic Taste
- Mouth Sores
- Digestive Problems
Sometimes, targeted therapy and immunotherapy are also recommended for some types of head and neck cancer.
Voice Restoration Options
These days, both patients and oncologists have several choices to restore the lost voice and the patient’s ability to swallow.
Esophageal Speech – It’s a low-tech option but requires the patients to master a special technique. It comes at no cost.
Electrolarynx – It’s an external device fitted at the side or front of the throat to cause sound vibration for speech.
Tracheoesophageal Puncture – It is a prosthetic valve to restore the patient’s ability to speak.