How can cancer treatments contribute to swallowing difficulties?
Cancer treatments such as radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery can all contribute to dysphagia. Radiation therapy can cause inflammation and scarring of the tissues in the throat and esophagus, leading to stiffness and difficulty swallowing. Chemotherapy can cause mucositis, a painful inflammation of the mucous membranes, which affects the mouth and throat. Surgical procedures, particularly those involving the removal of tumors from the head, neck, or esophagus, can alter the anatomy and functionality of the swallowing mechanism.
