My husband (who is only 36) has stage 3 melanoma, he's starting radiotherapy next week on his neck after having the lymph nodes removed in January. I'm worried about the side effects as we've been told it will affect his throat and mouth and that he might not be able to eat or drink properly. He's also high risk of it returning, especially in the same area as it had started going beyond 2 of the 6 lymph nodes it had spread too.
Hi Jayne my husband had 33 sessions of radiotheraphy to his neck last year. Laurence is PEG fed all the time so eating and drinking wasn't an issue. But have been told that using plastic cutlery is best. One problem is opening the mouth, but the nurse started him on mouth exercises from day 1 this consisted of her giving him a box of tongue depressors. She stacked them up until he could just get them in his mouth, then she put an elastic band round them. She told him to hold them in his mouth for a count of 10 take them out and then repeat. He does 5 repertions of this and does this about 4 times a day. When he can manage that easily then we add another tongue depressor. It is 4 months since his last session of radio but he still does this exercise and we are still adding depressors. This will help when he has to have any dental work done.
Laurence was told to stop wet shaving even before treatment started and using aftershave and use non scented soap such as simple. Once treatment started he only needed to shave once a week and his porn star tash became an hitler tash (just a little bit under his nose)
The skin on his neck did break down but 2 weeks after treatment his skin was back to normal.
It wasn't as bad as we expected and the only thing that bugs him now is that he will have to be extra careful in the sun (if we ever get any) and always use factor 30 suncream.
FormerMember
Hi, really sorry to welcome you here. I'm not sure I can offer much reassurance or help, but I'm in a similar position to your husband, but a bit further on. I had a neck dissection about 18 months ago, but no radiotherapy then, as although I had about 4 nodes involved at that point, none had "spread". Mine did return in my bones, but your husband might be more lucky. In any case I'm still enjoying life, with my family, and still making plans! Feel free to "pm" me.
I don't have any first hand experience of radiotherapy to the neck for this, but I think there are more people on the American melanoma site who have had it (www.mpip.org), and also all those with head/neck/throat cancer.
Alison
FormerMember
My partner had radiotherapy and chemo for head and neck cancer. He was fitted with a PEG before he had radical surgery to tongue throat soft pallet etc . He did quite well throughout his radiotherapy and managed to eat through most of it. It was not until afterwards he couldnt eat. His mouth opening even with physio never worked afterwards and his opening has only got to half a acentimetre. My partner is very unfortunate that his cancer has all returned and he is now terminal. Saying this, we know loads of people that it has all gone well for.
Sorry your husband is in this awful cancer club at such an early age. My partner is 42 and that is bad enough.
My partner lost some of his hair on one side and also lost his beard on one side. E45 cream is very good for the skin. Fortisips are a good liquid feed so ask about them.
Wishing you both well and hope it all goes ok. Keep us posted.
Love Kathryn xx
FormerMember
My partner had radiotherapy and chemo for head and neck cancer. He was fitted with a PEG before he had radical surgery to tongue throat soft pallet etc . He did quite well throughout his radiotherapy and managed to eat through most of it. It was not until afterwards he couldnt eat. His mouth opening even with physio never worked afterwards and his opening has only got to half a acentimetre. My partner is very unfortunate that his cancer has all returned and he is now terminal. Saying this, we know loads of people that it has all gone well for.
Sorry your husband is in this awful cancer club at such an early age. My partner is 42 and that is bad enough.
My partner lost some of his hair on one side and also lost his beard on one side. E45 cream is very good for the skin. Fortisips are a good liquid feed so ask about them.
Wishing you both well and hope it all goes ok. Keep us posted.
Love Kathryn xx
FormerMember
Hi Everyone who answered my blog, I'm new to doing this blog thing.
Thank you all for the replies,it's good knowing there are people I can talk to who know what we're going through. It's so scary how many people are affected by all these awful cancers. We're seeing the radiotherapy consultant tomorrow (wed 4th) Hopefully we'll feel more informed then. Thanks again everyone x Jayne x
