- Although treatment of NPC with radiotherapy or concurrent chemoradiation yields good response:
- There are many complications:
- That can adversely affect:
- The quality of life of these patients
- That can adversely affect:
- There are many complications:
- Complications of NPC treatment:
- Xerostomia:
- Is almost universal:
- After conventional radiotherapy:
- This leads to:
- Dry mouth
- Poor oral hygiene
- Dental caries
- This leads to:
- After conventional radiotherapy:
- Is almost universal:
- Hearing impairment:
- Is also frequently seen:
- May be related to the combined effects of:
- Direct radiation insult to the hearing apparatus
- Persistent disturbance of Eustachian tube function
- Chemotherapy-induced ototoxicity
- May be related to the combined effects of:
- Is also frequently seen:
- Soft tissue fibrosis following radiotherapy:
- May lead to:
- Restriction of:
- Neck movement or mouth opening:
- Often accompanied by discomfort
- Neck movement or mouth opening:
- Restriction of:
- May lead to:
- Cranial nerve palsies:
- Are usually due to:
- Incomplete healing of damage caused by the tumor:
- Although cranial nerves (especially CN IX, X, XI and XII):
- Can also be damaged by radiation
- Although cranial nerves (especially CN IX, X, XI and XII):
- Incomplete healing of damage caused by the tumor:
- Are usually due to:
- Dysphagia:
- Can be due to:
- Cranial nerve palsies or
- Pharyngeal stricture
- Can be due to:
- Hormonal insufficiency:
- Can develop due to:
- Damage to:
- The hypothalamic-pituitary axis or
- End organs such as:
- The thyroid gland
- Damage to:
- Can develop due to:
- Carotid artery stenosis:
- Can develop following neck irradiation:
- And may result in cerebral ischaemia
- Can develop following neck irradiation:
- The more serious sequelae are:
- Damage of higher functions:
- That lead to memory loss
- Cognitive dysfunction, and
- Neuropsychological dysfunction:
- This can occur with or without radiological evidence:
- Of temporal lobe necrosis
- This can occur with or without radiological evidence:
- Damage of higher functions:
- Xerostomia:
#Arrangoiz #Teacher #CancerSurgeon #HeadandNeckSurgeon #HeadandNeckCancer #SurgicalOncologist
Rodrigo Arrangoiz MS, MD, FACS, FSSO 