Suggest Ways To Manage Tube Feeding For A Throat Cancer Patient Who Is In Severe Depression

Posted on Tue, 24 Apr 2018

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Tue, 24 Apr 2018 Answered on

Fri, 15 Nov 2019 Last reviewed on

Question : My son, 53, has been being treated with cancer of the throat area for almost three years. The cancer is gone but he is still useing a feeding tube and has his throat stretched regularly. He has been treated for depression during this time. He has not gained hardly any weight back. I ordered some food for tube feeding and he has also been useing different kinds of liquid food-Boost, Equal and etc. I'm so afraid he is giving up. Please give me any suggestion that might help. YYYY@YYYY

Answered by Dr. Monish De (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
PEG tube insertion

Detailed Answer:

Hi,

As your son's throat cancer has gone with treatment and he is on the feeding tube and having his throat stretched I would advise him to go for percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube insertion.

This can be done by the surgical Oncologist/Gastroenterologist and can replace his feeding tube which is bothering him

Early stage throat cancer after treatment has a 5-year survival rate of 80 to 95 percent.

Regards

Dr. Monish De

Oncologist

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee