The+Impact+of+postoperative+radiotherapy+on+the+swallowing+mechanism

Radiotherapy is quite often used in conjunction with surgery as a treatment for cancer of the head and neck, primarily to control for residual cacer cells, ( Pauloski, 2008). Quite often radiotherapy is concentrated on the lymph nodes to prevent the spread of the disease, ( Groeher and Crary,2010). While it is is an effective way of controlling the spread of the cancer, it can significantly damage tissue and result in numerous of very unpleasent side effects for the patient which include but are not limited to , nausea and vomiting, fatigue, mouth sores, painful swallowing, loss of appetite, hypothryroidism, fibrosis of strucures, xersostomia, thickened slaiva, redness and skin irritation in the area treated, osteoradionecrosis of the mandible, reduced sense of taste, bone pain and dental problems, ( Groher & Crary,2010; Pauloski ,2008 ;Jansma,J., issinik, A., Spijkervet,F.k., 1992).Many studies have also shown that radiotherapy hinders the improvement of the swallowing mechanism. and studies have shown that patients who had did not have postoperative readiotherapy demonstrated a steady increase in improved swallow efficiency, while those who had had postoperative radiotherapy did not,( 8,88).