Q.) I’m about to undergo radiation treatment for my head and neck cancer. Should I be scared?
A.) No. You should be eating!
For the majority of head and neck patients undergoing radiation, a comprehensive head and neck field is used– meaning a good portion of your neck needs to be treated due to the fact that head and neck cancer can easily spread to the lymph nodes of the neck.
That makes for some tough side effects later on during the course of the treatment. Specifically, many patients can have pain or discomfort with swallowing foods. That tends to make patients eat less, and lose weight.
During radiation treatments, losing weight is not a good thing! Maintaining nutrition–and hydration– is very important during this period of time, as your body is undergoing a vigorous treatment- oftentimes with chemotherapy given during the radiation therapy too.
That’s why many head and neck cancer patients have a feeding tube placed before radiation even starts. Because adequate nutrition HAS to be maintained– even when your throat is sore and you don’t feel like eating.
Losing some weight may be unavoidable during the whole course of treatment- but by “staying ahead of the curve” with good nutrition and hydration, you may be preventing yourself from being admitted into the hospital for dehydration/poor nutrition.
In certain situations, your radiation oncologist may recommend for a feeding tube to be placed. This is not an uncommon practice, as it could help assist with nutritional intake, especially near the end of radiation treatments, when the side effects tend to peak.
So– isn’t there some eating you should be doing right now?