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You are the primary care provider for a 54-year-old man with a history of squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. His treatment included a partial resection of his tongue, removal of all lymph nodes on one side of his neck, and radiation therapy (delivered to the tongue and neck) following his surgery 2 years ago. He also has a history of arthritis and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). His major complaint at this routine appointment is dry mouth. Which of the following is the most likely cause of his dry mouth?
A. Over-the-counter medications he is taking for arthritis
B. Over-the-counter medications he is taking for GERD
C. Radiation therapy
D. Removal of lymph nodes
E. Removal of portion of tongue
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ee??loss of sublingual glands?
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C. Radiation therapy ????
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most common side effect of radiotherapy is dry mouth
ans is ccccccc
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The correct answer is C. Radiation therapy is an important component of treatment for squamous cell carcinoma in the head and neck. There are many side effects to radiation therapy, and the most common is dry mouth. This is related to the effects of radiation on the major (parotid, submandibular, and sublingual) and minor salivary glands. Most patients with a history of head and neck radiation therapy have some degree of dry mouth.
Over-the-counter medications for arthritis (choice A) and GERD (choice B) would not be expected to result in dry mouth to the same degree as radiation therapy.
Resection of neck lymph nodes (choice D) or the involved area of the tongue (choice E) would not by themselves have a significant effect on salivary function or create dry mouth
