How Do Head and Neck Cancers Affect Daily Life? (Post #10)

Hi! Welcome back! We're back after two whole weeks, so let's dive right it! Today we'll be looking at the effects of head and neck cancers and their treatments on everyday life.

First we'll discuss the effects of the cancer growth itself.

1. Speech: Speech, or the ability to communicate, is a vital part of daily life for humans. It helps us feel seen! Unfortunately, speech is directly impacted by head and neck cancers (like oral and throat cancer). These types of cancers affect the mouth, tongue, throat, and voice box. The growth of tumors in these areas can have various effects. If they are around the tongue, this may lead to unclear speech. If they are around their vocal cords, it's possible for the patient to have voice loss or persistent hoarseness. People affected often feel pain when they attempt to speak.

   
   

2. Eating: Trying new foods and flavors is one of the many joys of life. For a lot of people, meal times bring color to their day! However, this is one of the daily actions that head and neck cancer impacts. Tumor growth in the throat can block or narrow it, leading to difficulty swallowing (called dysphagia). As the tumor grows, it becomes harder and harder to eat, with people progressing from solid foods to liquid. The risk of choking also increases. Doctors usually fit a feeding tube to avoid choking and ensure proper nutrition.

   
   

3. Breathing: Tumors in the airway (nose/throat) block the passage of air into and out of your lungs. This can lead to difficulty breathing, or in milder cases, noisy breathing.

   
   

   Next, we'll look at the effects of treatments.

   
   

1. Surgery: Removal of tissue from the tongue, jaw, or throat again effects daily life. It will slur speech and may cause people to have problems pronouncing certain sounds. The loss of tissue also means people will have difficulty moving food around in the mouth and swallowing, leading to a changed diet (liquid/soft foods) as well as a lot of dependance on caregivers.

2. Radiation Therapy: Radiation therapy leads to a dry mouth and stiff throat, in turn leading to a long-term difficulty eating solid foods. People may also lose their sense of taste, making food unenjoyable. Due to their dry mouths, patients also need to frequently drink water while eating, which can be bothersome.

3. Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy causes mouth sores, making eating/drinking painful. It also leads to constant nausea. Additionally, the extreme fatigue caused by chemotherapy limits patients' ability to walk, make their own meals, do their laundry, and perform other necessary daily activities.

   
   

Overall, head and neck cancers and their treatments can drastically alter daily life for patients. Tasks like eating, speaking, and breathing become difficult. As treatments get more aggressive, their effect on quality of life also worsens. As cancer treatment advances, it is important to ensure that treatment toxicity is also lessened, so patients can enjoy their daily lives as best as possible!

Thank you for reading this week's post! Next week, I might not be able to post, I'll be out of town. However, we'll be featuring a double post the next weekend on Sunday. See you next time!

Information Citations:

“Throat Cancer - Symptoms and Causes.” Mayo Clinic, 2018, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/throat-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20366462.

MACMILLAN. “Head and Neck Cancer.” Www.macmillan.org.uk, 1 Mar. 2022, www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/head-and-neck-cancer.

Image Citations:

CCare. Head and Neck Cancer Symptoms, 2 Apr. 2025, ccare.com/blog/head-and-neck-cancer-awareness-symptoms-and-treatment/. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.