Hello everyone

My mother was diagnosed with base of tongue cancer in October 2004. She underwent radical extended neck dissection, excision of the right base on tongue and 20 treatments of post op radiotherapy. She has a very dry mouth (her saliva glands have been destroyed) and finds it a real effort to eat. She worked previously for 30 years in a bus depot and came into contact with strong diesel fumes, chemicals and paint fumes everyday while at work. She has never smoked and was a moderate drinker. Any one got a similar story? Look forward to your replies,
Kat

Hi Kat Welcome to the club, glad you found your way to us. There are many members who have experiences similar to your Mum & I'm sure they will pass on their experiences. My husband had a Tonsil cancer removed followed by 35 treatments of Radiotherapy & 3 Chemos. He finished his treatment in October 2004 & also has a problem with the lack of Saliva. We have found Biotine products, which our GP prescribed very, helpfull.
If you look through some of the many postings you will find all sorts of hints from other members on foods they have found helpfull.
Best wishes to you & your Mum.Keep in touch.

Hi Fran

Thank you for your welcome message. It is very comforting to know that there are many people who have been through the same and she says that she feels very relieved. She has not had much support from macmillan nurses and consultants as the clinics are always so rushed, it seems like you are just on a conveyer belt. Thank you again for your kind words, I will certainly look up the postings as my mom is getting very fed up with mashed potatoes and mushy vegetables. Also, she does miss her glass of wine, but she has to resort to a dash of malibu and milk, but she's glad to be here. Best wishes from Kat and Ann

Hello from East Coast USA... and WELCOME to you, Kat123. My husband, Dan, was also diagnosed with base of tongue cancer (with metastasis to the right neck lymph nodes) just one month after your mother. The only surgery he had was excision of the cancerous lymph node mass. He had no neck dissection and no surgery on the tongue. (This is worrisome to me because I wonder if his chances of recurrence is higher considering such surgeries were not done in his case.) Dan's treatment program consisted of 52 radiation sessions (twice daily initially) and 4 separate weeks of chemotherapy (in hospital, around the clock, during and after the radiation treatment period). Like your Mom, my Dan also suffers from extreme dry mouth. He is lucky that most all foods are tolerable with plenty to drink (sips after nearly every bite). Breads (and breaded foods) are a little harder to swallow than most other things, but he still manages them. Also like your Mom, my husband never smoked and was only a very light drinker. He has been in the water and wastewater treatment business all his life and around various chemicals (like chlorine, for instance). We have often wondered if any of this contributed to cancer later in life. Dan is now 52 years old, in remission, and doing well. Has your mother been declared "cancer-free" (in remission)?

I am just curious... What post-cancer exams/tests/scans does your mother receive on a routine basis to check for recurrence? There seems to be many differences in cancer after-care programs, especially amongst members of this website (who are from all over the world). I am constantly worried that doctors will miss something with Dan, or not detect a cancer recurrence as early as they could have (perhaps if a certain test had been done??).

Another question... Are your mother's eating difficulties more related to dry mouth than the tongue surgery?

It's always good to compare notes with other base of tongue cancer sufferers. Even amongst the oral cancers, base of tongue has its own unique list of difficulties (as you well know). I hope your mother will still see improvements in her ability to eat, and realizes she is NOT ALONE in her struggles.

From my heart,

Melanie