Is there any harm to pregnant women after radiation for laryngeal cancer?

Laryngeal cancer radiation can cause certain harm to pregnant women. Radiotherapy is an important way to treat laryngeal cancer, because this method will have an impact on the patient's body. Therefore, many patients are concerned about the side effects of laryngeal cancer radiotherapy. What should be paid attention to in laryngeal cancer?

What are the side effects of radiation therapy for laryngeal cancer?

1. Fatigue: During radiotherapy, patients may become very tired, especially in the last few weeks of treatment. Rest is important, but doctors often recommend their patients to move as much as possible. It is common for the skin in the radiation field to become red and dry after treatment. The patient's skin should be exposed to air but avoid direct sunlight, and the clothes should avoid friction on the affected skin as much as possible.

2. Voice changes: Patients who receive radiation therapy without surgery do not have a tracheostomy. They breathe and speak as usual, although radiation therapy can cause voice changes. The patient's voice will become weaker every night, and it is not uncommon for climate change to affect the voice. Voice changes and the foreign body sensation in the throat when swallowing are caused by swelling caused by radiation. Treatment may also cause sore throat, and the doctor will recommend medication to relieve pain and swallowing discomfort.

3. Tongue involvement: Patients may lose their sense of taste, smell, or feel a bitter taste in their mouth, which may be alleviated by drinking a lot of beverages. Doctors and nurses will suggest some ways to solve these problems. It is important to remember that although the side effects of radiotherapy may not be completely eliminated, most of them will gradually ease, and patients will gradually recover after radiotherapy.

4. The hair on the skin usually stops growing: If this is the case, please do not shave it off. Good skin care is essential at this time. Patients should keep their skin as clean as possible. Before radiotherapy, nothing should be applied to the skin surface. Do not use any lotion or ointment without a doctor's permission.

What should you pay attention to in case of laryngeal cancer?

First of all, we should be aware of the symptoms that the patient may have, such as hoarseness, which is the main symptom of laryngeal cancer patients and is progressively worsening. Severe cases may even cause loss of voice; pain, some patients will have sore throat, the pain worsens when swallowing, and may even radiate to the ears; difficulty swallowing, mainly in patients with supraglottic laryngeal cancer.

In the early stage, throat discomfort and foreign body sensation often occur. In the late stage, it invades the root of the tongue and may cause dysphagia. When it involves the throat or invades the esophagus, progressive dysphagia may occur. In response to the above possible symptoms, nursing staff should make corresponding preparations to help alleviate confusion and help the patient eat, etc.

In addition, the patient's health status and lifestyle habits during the onset period should be understood in order to understand the bad lifestyle habits and environmental factors that may lead to the onset of the disease, such as whether he has a long history of smoking, or whether he has been in a polluted environment for a long time, and whether he has throat diseases such as chronic pharyngitis, so as to intentionally help the patient change his bad habits during care.

Furthermore, patients should be assisted in conducting necessary examinations, and their fear of the disease and mental burden should be relieved, so that they can build up confidence in overcoming the disease.

The side effects of radiotherapy on the patient's body are limited to a certain range, and this adverse effect is much smaller than the harm caused by the disease itself, so patients do not need to worry too much.