How to take care of dry mouth during radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Many people have a good understanding of nasopharyngeal cancer. When treating nasopharyngeal cancer, it is necessary to seek treatment in time. The following editor will introduce how to take care of dry mouth during radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal cancer.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is one of the most common tumors in my country, with Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Fujian and other provinces being the most common areas. The incidence rate in men is 2 to 3 times that in women, and the most common age group is 40 to 50 years old.

Since most NPCs are poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinomas, radiotherapy is the first choice for treatment, and 60Co or linear accelerator high-energy radiotherapy is often used. The 5-year survival rate of radiotherapy is about 45%. Local recurrence and metastasis after radiotherapy for NPC are the main causes of death. Therefore, for some patients who have received 60-70Gy of external radiation therapy and still have residual local lesions, intracavitary afterloading therapy can be used.

Dry mouth during radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma requires proper care. Here are some related care methods:

Inform patients that dry mouth symptoms may persist for a long time after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and advise them to pay attention to oral hygiene, drink plenty of water, avoid fried and rough food, and not drink alcohol. For patients with difficulty opening their mouths, they should insist on doing mouth opening training, and teeth should not be extracted within 2 years to prevent jaw necrosis.

Before radiotherapy, inform patients about the relevant knowledge of xerostomia and the possible discomfort symptoms, and make them understand that xerostomia is inevitable and the discomfort will gradually decrease after adaptation. Give more comfort to patients with xerostomia to help them accept the facts, eliminate tension and irritability, and build confidence in overcoming the disease.

Patients with dry mouth after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma should be given a high-calorie, high-vitamin semi-liquid diet and gargle with 4% borax solution or 3% sodium bicarbonate solution. When patients develop oral ulcers, pseudomembranes, and pain, their diet and nutritional status should be evaluated in a timely manner. Beifuji can be used for external application to relieve pain, or a mixture of normal saline, lidocaine, and vitamins can be used to gargle for analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects.