Download Treatments for Cancer of the Larynx or Tongue

3
Treatments for Cancer of the
Larynx or Tongue
◆ Members of Your Medical Team
◆ Important Questions to Ask
◆ Whatever Cancer Treatments
You Decide Upon: Read This!
◆ Members of Your Medical Team
If your ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgeon or otolaryngologist finds that you
have cancer of the larynx or the tongue, or in the surrounding areas, other
members of the medical team may be asked to also evaluate you and additional tests may be performed. A radiation oncologist can review the results of
all your tests and determine if radiation therapy may be effective in treating
your disease. A medical oncologist can decide if chemotherapy is appropriate
for treating the disease. Your doctors will discuss the kinds of approaches that
are available and what would be best for managing your disease. Sometimes a
person with cancer of the larynx or tongue is advised to have only one form of
treatment. Often, a combination of treatments is suggested, such as surgery
first, followed by radiation therapy. Or radiation therapy may be recommended first, followed by surgery if the disease progresses. Sometimes
chemotherapy may be recommended in combination with radiation therapy
or surgery.
Other members of the medical team may meet with you, depending on
your cancer and recommended treatment. A speech pathologist will evaluate
your voice, speech, and swallowing ability and discuss with you and your
family how surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of
these treatments may affect them. A dietitian may meet with you if you have
experienced weight loss or if the cancer treatments you receive require
changing the consistency of your foods. A dentist or maxillofacial prosthodontist will examine your teeth and may start you on daily fluoride
treatments to help preserve your teeth before, during, and after cancer
treatments. A nurse who specializes in various cancer treatments may meet
with you and instruct you in certain procedures. Other specialists and
technicians may be involved.
Whatever Cancer Treatments You Decide Upon: Read This!
13
◆ Important Questions to Ask
If you have cancer of the larynx, tongue, or other areas of the head and neck,
the decisions you make about how to proceed will depend on your health, the
extent of your cancer, an individualized discussion about the pros and cons of
treatment, and what you decide is right for you. Depending on the extent and
stage of the disease, this can be a very difficult decision, perhaps even a
life-or-death decision. You and your family will need to ask some important
questions:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Where, exactly, is the cancer located?
How fast is it growing? Is it spreading to other parts of my body?
Is this life threatening?
If I agree to a particular treatment, what are the prospects for cure?
If I decide on surgery, how much of the affected area and the surrounding
tissue will be removed, and how does the surgeon know how much is
enough?
Are there other kinds of treatment?
How will each treatment affect the way I breathe? Swallow? Speak?
Will the treatment be painful? How will pain be alleviated?
How will my face and neck change in appearance?
How long will it take before I have recovered to a level that is the maximum I can expect to achieve?
How will it change my life?
What are the potential short- and long-term complications of each treatment modality?
What will happen if the proposed treatment does not work? What can be
done then?
What is my physician’s personal experience with the recommended treatment?
Is there someone I can talk with who has had similar disease and treatment?
To help you understand the location and extent of abnormal tissue in your
larynx, tongue, or surrounding structures, ask your physician to draw in those
areas using the illustrations in Fig. 3–1.
◆ Whatever Cancer Treatments You
Decide Upon: Read This!
Your physicians and other members of the health care team are the best
sources for information about your disease. Every person is different, with a
unique medical condition and life situation. Your physicians may refer you to
14
Chapter 3
Treatments for Cancer of the Larynx or Tongue
Figure 3–1 Ask your physician to draw in the areas of concern. (Used with permission
of the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.)
Whatever Cancer Treatments You Decide Upon: Read This!
Table 3–1
15
Records Checklist
Your name ______________________________________ Your birth date ______________
Your cancer diagnosis____________________ Date of your cancer diagnosis_____________
Important laboratory and x-ray results __________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Information about your type(s) of cancer treatment
Radiation therapy
Part of body treated _________________________________________________________
Number of treatments _______________________________________________________
Dates of treatment __________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Side effects ________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Chemotherapy
Drug names _______________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Number of treatments _______________________________________________________
Dates of treatment __________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Side effects ________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Surgery
Type of operation(s) _________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Date(s) of operation(s) _______________________________________________________
Name of surgeon ___________________________________________________________
Hospital ___________________________________________________________________
Other cancer treatment medications
Name of treatment(s) _______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
(Continued)
16
Chapter 3
Table 3–1
Treatments for Cancer of the Larynx or Tongue
(Continued)
Dates of treatment(s) ________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Location of treatment(s) _____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Complications _____________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Non–cancer treatment medications you’ve taken or you’re taking
Names ___________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Doses ____________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Complications _____________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Medical professionals who’ve participated in your care
Names and phone numbers ___________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Used with permission of the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.
other sources of information on head and neck cancer and its treatment, such
as publications from the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute. You may decide to seek out a second medical opinion. Remember,
there are many sources of medical information on the World Wide Web and
other places. Be careful with “facts” you receive from sources other than from
a physician who has examined you. Otherwise, you may be misled by information that does not pertain to your specific medical condition. If you find information that you do not understand or if it conflicts with information your
medical team has given you, take that information to the physicians who
know you. Ask questions and listen.
Additionally, whatever cancer treatment or treatments you choose, consider using the records checklist in Table 3–1. It will help you keep track of important information about your diagnosis and conventional treatments (radiation therapy, chemotherapy, surgery) as well as complementary treatments
such as nutrition and other approaches.