T1 N1 M0 - Right Tonsil
5 Months pre RT treatment
Hi everyone, I did write something here before, just before I had surgery. I had neck dissecion on the 5th Dec 2022 and was in hospital for 8 days had to have a feeding pipe for 6 days as I had a rip while I was being operated so had to wait till it was healed. I had 29 lymph nodes removed but only one was found to be cancerous and that's the lump I had on my neck, was told by the surgean that it was capsulated. The measuring of the lump was 32mm.
I was so confused wether to have the surgery and the radiotherapy, or just one of them so I started RT 60 gry 30 fractions on the 23rd Jan 2023 nearly 7 weeks after the surgery. I was terrified of being under the mask but the staff were very good and made me feel at ease. I suffered a lot with ulcers on my tongue and pain in my mouth during the treatment even when I spoke as the teeth were rubbing against the ulcers making them very painfull. Eating was difficult like every one knows if you have been through this. The taste was gone and the texture of food was so strange.
Three weeks after finishing the treatment i was feeling good for about 3 weeks but then around the 24th April I felt pain in my troath and when I went to the hospital they told me it's a big ulcer and gave me pain killers and difflam to rinse my mouth, it took around 8 weeks to get better but in the meantime I must have had another ulcer coming out as I have it now it's right at the back of the mouth in between the gums where the the gap is. Im rinsing with carbonate of soda and salt including difflam. I must have had it for about 5 weeks now. They didn't see it when I went to hospital at first, I'm worried about this because all the litreture I read says that ulcers get better after finishing the RT. At the hospital they didn't say much so got me worried even more Im at the hospital next Thursday and I hope it's nothing serious. I wonder if anyone has expierenced this getting ulcers late after finishing RT!
Take care
I'm worried about this because all the litreture I read says that ulcers get better after finishing the RT.
Yes they do but weeks/ months later.
wonder if anyone has expierenced this getting ulcers late after finishing RT!
Heck yes! I’m four plus years clear and I still get ulcers if I’ve been too adventurous with food. The first year was the worst. I had to be very careful about what I ate.
I’m sure your review on Thursday will put your mind at rest
Dani
Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019
Hi Serenata. I would not worry about the ulcer as it is part and parcel of the process.. they happen… I avoided the difflam as I found it too harsh for me and used an ultra mild mouth rinse made by boi extra instead and also got some mouth sprays which I found really helped me. Really good dental hygiene pays dividends and using a mild toothpaste I also found helped. When out and about carry an extra bottle of lightly salted water with to give your mouth a rinse every so often. When I went back to work after 3 months I had a pot of good sea salt in my draw and used to give my mouth a rinse before eating anything for a good few months. I am 9 months post treatment now and things are pretty normal… i still have my back up plans of mouthwash, spray, salted water blah blah if I feel things starting to change but all in all pretty lucky as can eat pretty much most things.. even fresh tomato’s with some fresh basil, olive oil and light glass of vino… 
Just plug on serenata
you’ll get there. Xx
Dani
Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019
