Living with and recovering from head and neck cancer is as much about reclaiming your quality of life as it is about treating the disease. In the UK, the focus of your multidisciplinary team (MDT) is not just on “curing” cancer, but on ensuring you can breathe, speak and eat as comfortably as possible. 

Here is a breakdown of the rehabilitation options available to help you return to your daily routine. 

1. Restoring Speech and Communication

Treatment can often affect the structures we use to speak. Whether you’ve had surgery on your tongue or your larynx (voice box) has been removed, support is available: 

  • Speech and Language Therapy (SLT): An SLT specialist will often meet you before treatment begins and follows up in the hospital. They provide tailored exercises to strengthen muscles or teach alternative methods of communication. 
  • Voice Prosthesis: If you have had a laryngectomy, you may be fitted with a valve or “voice box” that allows you to speak again. 

2. Managing Nutrition and Swallowing

Eating is one of life’s great pleasures, but it can become a challenge during recovery. 

  • Dietary Counseling: Registered dietitians work with you to ensure you’re getting the right nutrients, especially if your sense of taste has changed or swallowing is painful. 
  • Feeding Tubes: If you cannot swallow safely, a temporary feeding tube (inserted through the nose or via a small incision in the abdomen) ensures you stay hydrated and nourished while you heal. 
  • Swallowing Retraining: Specialist therapists provide techniques to help you coordinate the muscles needed to swallow safely, reducing the risk of food entering the windpipe. 

3. Physical Reconstruction and Prosthetics

When surgery involves removing bone or tissue, the focus shifts to restoring your appearance and function. 

  • Reconstructive Surgery: Plastic surgeons may use “flaps” (tissue taken from another part of your body) to rebuild areas of the face or mouth. 
  • Prosthodontics: If surgery or radiotherapy makes reconstruction difficult, a prosthodontist can create a custom prosthesis. This is an artificial part (like a dental bridge or facial feature) designed to restore your appearance and help with speech and swallowing.

4. Stoma Care and Physical Therapy

For many, rehabilitation involves learning a “new normal” for basic bodily functions. 

  • Stoma Care: If you’ve had a laryngectomy, you will breathe through a stoma (a small hole in the neck). Specialist nurses will teach you how to clean and care for this to prevent infection and keep your airway clear. 
  • Physical Therapy: Surgery in the neck area can sometimes lead to stiffness in the shoulders or a restricted range of movement. A physiotherapist can provide exercises to keep you mobile and reduce discomfort. 

Recovery looks different for every patient. Your rehabilitation plan will be customised to suit the specifics of your treatment and your individual recovery goals.