Meet others living with Head & Neck Cancer: Introduce yourself

Hi all,
My extractions were supervised by my head and neck oncologist at University of Maryland Medical Center. They have gone away from Hyperbaric oxygen Therapy and they gave me a long treatment of Vitamin E and a medication that I do not remember the name of right now, to promote blood flow in my jaw. So far, so good.
Elaine, you have to be proactive about your gums. The most important thing is to take care of your mouth very well. I go for cleaning every three months. I use a very good water pick and little brushes between my teeth and I brush every time I eat. Talk to your dentist and have him give you recommendations to control receding gums. I was not told about all the repercussions of radiation, but here I am after five years and happy to be healthy and alive.

Hi Elaine. I have had dental problems after radiotherapy. The two bottom front teeth are hanging in there but look pretty awful and are loose. They've been stuck together so that I can hang onto them a bit longer. Lost a lot of teeth during surgery too so wear a partial metal denture. I don't know why SRS caused this for you. We were warned that radiation for head and neck cancer would affect our production of saliva and hence give rise to rapid dental decay unless a lot of fluoride was used etc. Radiation also affects the blood flow to jaw so it's dangerous to have a tooth extracted in the radiated field without hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
I have not heard of brain tumor patients having this problem - but everyone is different. Hope you can get answers about this.

Shouldn't the doctors tell us this could happen when we have this treatment?

Hi Elaine,
I had radiation therapy in 2013. My gums started pulling away maybe three months after treatment. I have been fastidious about oral hygiene and still I have lost three molars on the side of radiation, which is my right, because infections reached the roots. When I had the last molar out, well, I thought, one molar less to take care of. Have been chewing on my left side forgive years, and I am just happy to be alive. I know some other people that have had the same happen with oral cancer and radiation. I hope this info helps.

Hi, my name is Elaine, and I have been having dental problems over the past 6 weeks with my Gums. My Gums are pulling away from my teeth on the upper right side. I had SRS radiation treatments in December 2017 for a Tentorial meningioma on. And the place I went to Spectrum Health Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion said that these treatments do not cause this problem. So I must be special because it is has happen to me. Has anyone else have this problem with SRS Treatments for their meningioma brain tumor?

It may not be possible to understand precisely a given medical problem, but everyone should understand pain and fear.

Thank you all for your support. This is our club, where we can empty with people that understand. You are important in my life; thank you.
Loli

Like all cancer, squamous cell cancer can pop up randomly I assume. And from what I have seen over the years, cancer is unpredictable. You can have successful removal of the first tumour and in most cases that is enough but in rarer cases the cells were there lurking all the time. Sometimes I think those of us who have survived HNC or who are living with it on and off are lucky to have stopped it at the pass. There are amazing surgeries that can be done to replace the jaw and reconstruct other areas of the face. Much love to all.

So sorry to hear what your sister has endured. I really admire your family organisation. Having you there for three weeks will take so much pressure off her. I hope she is well enough during the treatment to enjoy the togetherness with her sister:)

Did any doctor ever tell you how someone gets cancer in the jaw? Or did he speculate on the answer? It's not something that comes up in medical news very often (like breast, colon, lung, etc). These stories are incredibly scary.