Possible Longer Term Effects of Head and Neck Cancer Treatment - Loss of Sensitivity in Fingers

Hi,

Just a simple question to find out if any other Head and Neck cancer survivors have  issues with nerve (touch) sensitivity in their fingers

My history is that I was diagnosed with cancer in my neck lymph nodes in 2016 (No primary site found) and treated with extensive radiation therapy coupled with chemotherapy, followed by a selective neck dissection to remove the remaining cancerous materials from my neck.

Subsequently. I recovered fairly well over the first couple of years, just having some issues with swallowing some solid foods. As time has progressed though I have been diagnosed with an under active thyroid gland  and increased swallowing difficulties, both attributable to the radiation therapy treatment. Also, more recently my swallowing function has become unsafe and I was advised about a year ago not to eat and drink through my mouth and was given a PEG based feeding tube - All the above is a bit of a bind but I have adjusted my life around it.

In parallel though, over a long period of time I have also suffered from nerve issues associated with the neck dissection. Initially these issues were limited to neck pain and a lack of feeling in my left shoulder. However, over time, these have gradually got worse and now affect my left arm and hand to the point where touch sensitivity in my left hand appears to be severely compromised. More worrying than this is the fact that similar issues are now starting to affect my right arm and hand.

I have been talking to my doctor to understand whether it is all connected with long terms effects of the cancer treatment or whether these issues in my hands are due to something else. As yet I have no answers to this question.

I was just wondering if anyone else on here who is suffering from the longer term effects of cancer treatment has any experience of similar long term nerve related issues in their hands.

Thanks for reading

Dave.