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Has anyone experienced narrowing of the esophagus due to radiation ?

Posted by blondeboss @blondeboss, Jun 17 3:25pm

My husband is experiencing difficulties swallowing 6 months after his last radiation treatment. He just had a swallow test done to see what is going on and he has narrowing of his esophagus. He has only about a quarter of an inch opening. His speech therapist said that it is caused by radiation. Has anyone else experienced this?

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cskippy | @cskippy | Jun 19 11:37am
In reply to @carlajones101 "My BIL finished radiation 7 months ago and since then had his esophagus stretched twice but..." + (show)
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My BIL finished radiation 7 months ago and since then had his esophagus stretched twice but it has narrowed again. He is not giving up and has planned a consult with a vanderbilt ENT. There is also a "swallowing" bootcamp at MD Anderson but first the opening has to be able to accept the food and liquid so maybe a better way to hold the stretch is in his future. Will keep u posted.

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@carlajones101 Hello, is this procedure for the esophagus ? My issue is the damage nerves in my tongue.

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blondeboss | @blondeboss | Jun 19 1:39pm
In reply to @cskippy "@gareee314 Oh my, you just describe what I'm going though. My started happening after 9 yrs..." + (show)
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@gareee314 Oh my, you just describe what I'm going though. My started happening after 9 yrs with no problems. Then out of the blue, I started to have issues swallowing when I'm eating, had to make sure I had water by my-side all the time to help get it down. All my doctors are baffled and don't know what to do. I'm on a feeding tube now, place in Nov. 2025. need to change the tube every 3 months. After seeing my ENT physician assistant, He check me out and said he didn't know what to do. I wanted a second opinion, I'm thinking theres has be a doctor out there that can help. So I made a appointment with a ENT outside my town. I'm attaching my report...so you can understand what's going on with me. My in town ENT (pa) did not inform me of the new issues I'm having. 🙁 I like this support group it helps. remember "We're all are on different journeys, but at the same time we're on the same journey." Have a bless day 🙂

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@cskippy
Ask for a swallow study. That’s how this was diagnosed. My husband is five years out from his first radiation treatments and 6 months out from radiation during this recurrence.
This will show up on a swallow study .
We are in Salt Lake and the Huntsman Cancer Institute is fabulous

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carlajones101 | @carlajones101 | Jun 19 2:59pm
In reply to @cskippy "@carlajones101 Hello, is this procedure for the esophagus ? My issue is the damage nerves in..." + (show)
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@carlajones101 Hello, is this procedure for the esophagus ? My issue is the damage nerves in my tongue.

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@cskippy
I think his problem is just the esophagus narrowing so that food and liquids take the easier path which is back up and out of the esophagus and into the trachea.
Getting further studies so not sure maybe it is a nerve problem. Will keep u posted

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carlajones101 | @carlajones101 | Jun 19 3:01pm
In reply to @blondeboss "@cskippy Ask for a swallow study. That’s how this was diagnosed. My husband is five years..." + (show)
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@cskippy
Ask for a swallow study. That’s how this was diagnosed. My husband is five years out from his first radiation treatments and 6 months out from radiation during this recurrence.
This will show up on a swallow study .
We are in Salt Lake and the Huntsman Cancer Institute is fabulous

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@blondeboss thank you! The swallowing study showed the narrowing is back and all the other scheduled test were cancelled because barium could not pass. Now they want him to see another specialist and he can't get in until February. Sooooo looking to go to another facility.

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cskippy | @cskippy | Jun 19 3:27pm
In reply to @blondeboss "@cskippy Ask for a swallow study. That’s how this was diagnosed. My husband is five years..." + (show)
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@cskippy
Ask for a swallow study. That’s how this was diagnosed. My husband is five years out from his first radiation treatments and 6 months out from radiation during this recurrence.
This will show up on a swallow study .
We are in Salt Lake and the Huntsman Cancer Institute is fabulous

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@blondeboss Thank you I'm in Oregon 🙂

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Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | 3 days ago
In reply to @blondeboss "We are waiting for the esophageal dilation" + (show)
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We are waiting for the esophageal dilation

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@blondeboss, you might be interested in this related discussion in the Esophageal Cancer support group:
- Anyone out there performing self esophageal dilation?https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/anyone-out-there-performing-self-esophageal-dilation/

Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist, Dr. Magnus Halland, M.D. talks about esophageal self-dialation for patients dealing with swallowing difficulties due to narrowing of the esophagus in this blog post and video.


- Esophageal Self Dilation Therapy: An Effective Alternative: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/gastroenterology-and-gi-surgery/newsfeed-post/esophageal-self-dilation-therapy-an-effective-alternative/

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judyandchloe | @judyandchloe | 3 days ago

My grandmother suffered with esophageal cancer where she had repeated treatment to open it up. I wish this had been a practice as I think it would have helped. She got so she couldn’t swallow her own saliva. We had these little sponges on a stick so she could swab her mouth-terrible dry mouth. They had to finally go to a feeding tube through her stomach, with Ensure to provide her nutrition. It was terribly debilitating. Depressing. But, she was tough-she lived until she was almost 94 years old.

I think there needs to be a greater awareness of what happens to people with this cancer.

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madlydancing | @madlydancing | 2 days ago

My husband had the same problem. It took him 9 months after radiation treatment before he could swallow anytype of solid food. Good luck. I know how hard it is seeing a love one struggle.

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omaest | @omaest | 2 days ago

That's why I now get all my nutrition through a G Tube. And at the present time the radiation fibrosis is effecting my larynx and neck movement.

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ban1952 | @ban1952 | 2 days ago
In reply to @omaest "Yes, I had stage 4 tonsil cancer over 20 years ago. Radiation fibrosis is progressive but..." + (show)
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Yes, I had stage 4 tonsil cancer over 20 years ago. Radiation fibrosis is progressive but Physical Therapy can help. Your situation sounds much more complicated than mine but similar. I also have an over abundance of mucus. My cancer Dr. explained that my body is reacting to the scar tissue from radiation as an injury and is producing mucus to heal it.

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@omaest how long does that take

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