Had radiotherapy for tonsil and base of tongue cancer at Southampton hospital last year which finished end of October. Was tough but feeling much better now. PET scan last week and then had to wait another week to go back for results. Thankfully I was advised the cancer has gone, HOORAH! I will of course have to keep going back for monthly checks but this was great news. Still have loss of sweet taste but it is slowly getting better with occasional hints of sweet taste. Dieticians advised that it could take as long as 18 months to 2 years to recover but I am hopeful that it’s coming back a bit quicker. I do recommend Xylimelts for dry mouth and still using them. I have had an abscess under molar which is still there and picked up on PET scan. I asked hospital and they said OK to have root canal but do not have tooth extracted. Glad to hear that as I have lost 3 teeth already preparing for the radiotherapy. Worth letting your dentist know as they are not always aware of restrictions. All in all I am super happy to be on the mend and so thankful to NHS staff for all of their help. Not at the end of this yet but time for a holiday soon. Also thankfully lots of the nasty stuff has dimmed in my memory. Wishing everyone else on the community all the best.
Good news. The only way is up.
Don’t worry too much about the tooth. I had a wisdom tooth out in the first year after treatment. It was done at the hospital. It’s my understanding that the complication we all worry about, osteoradionecrosis, is fibrosis impairing healing which doesn’t become a significant risk for a year or so. My extraction was uneventful. My oncologist told me to use factor 50 for the first year but that 20 or 30 was ok thereafter.
Dani
Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019
I wrote a blog about my cancer. just click on the link below
https://todaymycoffeetasteslikechristmasincostarica.com
Brilliant news 
