Surgery for head and neck cancer often changes the patient's ability
to chew, swallow, or talk. Patients may look different after surgery, and
facial and neck may be swollen. This swelling usually disappears within a few
weeks. However, if the lymph nodes removed, the flow of lymph in areas where
they have been removed may be slower and may collect in the lymph tissue,
causing additional swelling; swelling can persist for a long time.
After laryngectomy (surgery to remove the larynx) or other operations in the neck, the neck and throat may feel numb because nerves have been cut. If the lymph nodes in the neck was removed, shoulders and neck can become weak and stiff.
Patients who received radiation to the head and neck may experience redness, irritation, and sores in the mouth, dry mouth or thickened saliva; difficulty in swallowing, change in appetite, or nausea. Another problem that may occur during treatment is the loss of taste, which can reduce appetite and affect nutrition, and earaches (caused by hardening of ear wax). Patients also may notice some swelling or drooping of the skin under the chin and changes in skin texture. The jaw may feel stiff, and the patient may not be able to open his mouth as wide as before treatment.
Patients should report side effects to the doctor or nurse, and discuss how to handle them.
