I was celebrating that no new problems had arisen for nearly a year, (this was April) and then a strange lump appeared under his jawline. He had a cat scan which showed necrotic tissue. So he went for an MRI. His oncologist Dr Davids jocosely said he is a man of mystery. They can't tell if it's cancerous or not. The biopsy showed neither one thing or the other, apparently. Of course later I had to go surfing on the Internet and this is what I found and I am pretty sure this is what is happening. I am not brave enough to mention it to the oncologist! "Have you studied medicine!!!?" (Not that I've ever mentioned finding something on the Internet to a doctor, but I have heard how irritated - rightly I guess - they get!)
Osteoradionecrosis is a rare side effect that develops some time after radiation therapy has ended. It usually occurs in the lower jaw, or mandible. The lower jaw is at risk of osteoradionecrosis because it has a limited blood supply. Very rarely, osteoradionecrosis can start in the upper jaw, or maxilla.
So now on 31st July, he goes for a pet scan. Meanwhile ... well, that deserves a whole new post.
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