Trismus Management Exercises From Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
The following link provides trismus excerises from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for patients undergoing head and/or neck radiation therapy. #trismus #radiationtherapy #headandornecksurgery
Dental Management and Cancer Therapy: Some Important Information to Know Before Undergoing Invasive
Cancer therapy affects the entire human body, including the oral cavity. Poor oral hygiene and health has been linked to an increased risk of developing oral side effects associated with cancer treatment regimens as well as an increased severity of these conditions. Thus, it is highly recommended that patients visit a dentist with dental oncology training prior to receiving any cancer therapy to help reduce the risk of developing these oral complications. When should I visit
Radiation Mouth Guards: What's the purpose?
Before undergoing radiotherapy, your dentist may recommend that you wear radiation mouth guards during your treatment. When radiation hits metal in a person’s mouth, the radiation scatters and may be associated with an increased risk for developing mouth sores. Thus, it is often recommended that patients wear custom radiation mouth guards when undergoing radiation if the metal in their mouth will be in the field of the radiation. The mouth guards do not eliminate the risk of
Head and Neck Radiation Basics: What to Expect
A cancer diagnosis is indubitably stressful, life-altering and overwhelming. Cancer not only affects us physically but it also influences us psychologically. And, in the midst of dealing with a diagnosis, you may struggle with understanding new medical jargon, learning about seemingly foreign treatment modalities and handling myriad appointments with different specialists. This basic guide may aid you in understanding radiation therapy as it applies to the head and neck and w
Osteoradionecrosis of the Jaw: What is it? - Blog post featured in Side Effects Support LLC Blog
Here is the article featured in Side Effects Support LLC Blog: Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) is a serious long-term side effect of radiation therapy. The definition of osteoradionecrosis of the jaw has changed throughout the years and remains unclear given our limited knowledge of ORN. Nonetheless, currently, most consider ORN a condition characterized by the presence of exposed bone, which fails to heal after high-dose radiation (greater than 50-60 Gy). Although the time frame at
If the exact radiation dosage is not known, what are some signs that an area has received high doses
There are several signs associated with high doses of radiation therapy to the head and neck. These include loss of facial hair growth, profound xerostomia (dry mouth), tissue induration, and taste loss. Patients sometimes experience mucosal telangiectasia, characterized by small dilated blood vessels along the mucosa inside the mouth. Often, a quick marker of where the radiation was delivered can be detected by noticing where a man’s beard line has stopped. #radiationtherap
What are some of the side effects of head and neck radiation?
Xerostomia/Hyposalivation Xerostomia is the medical term for the sensation of dry mouth. Hyposalivation signifies a reduction in salivary flow and is an objective, measurable entity. Radiation therapy affecting the head and neck where the salivary glands are in field of radiation is associated with salivary gland atrophy. Radiation doses of 25 Gy or greater are associated with hyposalivation, reduced salivary flow and function. In addition to reduced flow, the saliva produced
Hyperbaric Oxygen (HBO) Therapy: To Dive or Not To Dive
Wait what? Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves delivering oxygen at higher than atmospheric pressure for a certain time period. It is used to treat a variety of medical conditions ranging from the bends to gas grene to carbon moxonide poisoning to osteoradionecrosis of the jaw. It consists of patients undergoing ‘dives’. A dive means receiving 100% Oxygen at 2.4 atm for 90 minutes. The question as to whether HBO therapy is beneficial in preventing ORN is debatable. To dive Wai