Any solutions for pasty build up after throat cancer??

Question

My husband has a great problem eating after throat cancer due to a paste like build up in his mouth. Has anyone had a simu;iar problem? Any idea's?

Answer 1

I always recommended a soft diet with the strategy of taking one bite, then a large swig of liquid to wash it down. It's a good idea to use something high in food value to flush it through, such as Ensure or Boost, because he will need lots of liquid and shouldn't fill up with just water. The water in either of these liquid foods counts toward the daily water requirement. To get rid of the pasty build up, rinse/gargle with warm saline-- nothing works better for cutting through the goo. Use 1 tsp table salt for each 8 oz. of warm water. If you are out of the house, you can take along artificial saliva, which you can get in just about any drugstore; ask the pharmacist.

Answer 2

Oral squamous cell carcinoma affects about 30,000 Americans each year. Ninety percent are smokers. Alcohol is also a risk factor. Early, curable lesions are rarely symptomatic; thus, preventing fatal disease requires early detection by screening. Treatment is with surgery, radiation, or both. The overall 5-yr survival rate is 52%. Outlook (Prognosis) Throat cancers can be cured in 90% of patients if detected early. If the cancer has spread to surrounding tissues or lymph nodes in the neck, 50-60% of patients can be cured. If the cancer has spread (metastasized) to parts of the body outside the head and neck, the cancer is not curable and treatment is aimed at prolonging quality of life. After treatment, patients generally need therapy to help with speech and swallowing. A small percentage of patients (5%) will not be able to swallow and will need to be fed through a feeding tube. Possible Complications: * Airway obstruction * Difficulty swallowing * Disfigurement of the neck or face * Hardening of the skin of the neck * Loss of voice and speaking ability * Spread of the cancer to other body areas (metastasis)