What to do if you keep coughing after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal cancer? What to eat for nasopharyngeal cancer

What should I do if I have nasopharyngeal cancer and cough after radiotherapy? What should I eat if I have nasopharyngeal cancer?

1. As pathological examinations show mostly poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma, radiotherapy is recognized as the first choice of treatment. Conventional radiotherapy has many complications, so three-dimensional conformal or enhanced radiotherapy is recommended. The total irradiation dose to the nasopharynx is 66~70Gy/6.5~7 weeks, the radical dose for positive cervical lymph nodes is 56~60Gy, and the preventive radiation dose for negative cervical lymph nodes is 46~50Gy.

2. After radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, symptoms such as sputum, dyspnea, sore throat, and cough often occur. In this case, patients are advised to pay attention to oral hygiene to prevent secondary infection or fungal infection. A large amount of vitamin C and vitamin B2 can be used. Local treatment can use throat clearing drugs, and infections can be treated symptomatically. Those who affect swallowing should be given timely infusion to supplement nutrition. Ginsenoside Rh2 has a good effect in inhibiting the side effects of radiotherapy, can effectively regulate the body's immune function, inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells, and induce cancer cells to transform into normal cells. It has a good auxiliary treatment effect. If the patient coughs for too long, it is best to go to the hospital.

3. In the diet after chemotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, some foods that nourish yin and moisten dryness, such as sugarcane juice, pear juice, water chestnut juice, watermelon juice, lotus root juice, strawberry juice, and orange juice, should be appropriately added to ensure comprehensive nutrition and improve adverse reactions after radiotherapy. For patients with congestion and edema of the pharyngeal mucosa and dysphagia caused by radiotherapy, the diet after chemotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma should be based on the patient's swallowing situation, with a light and less oily liquid diet, such as milk, lotus root powder, protein powder, batter, broken noodles, etc., or a uniform diet to make the food soft, easy to swallow, and easy to digest and absorb. Soybeans are rich in protein and fat, and plant protein accounts for 30% to 50% of minerals and B vitamins.