Making New Meanings of Being in the World After Treatment for Oral Cancer

Abstract

When the mouth is affected by cancer, difficulties in satisfying basic human needs such as eating, tasting, swallowing, and speaking might arise, and the existential significance of the mouth might become obvious. How does it feel to live with these difficulties? What does it mean to be a human being living with the consequences of oral cancer? Five patients with oral cancer were interviewed a median time of 4 years after the beginning of treatment. A hermeneutic research approach was used to understand, explain, and interpret the transcribed interviews and showed how the consequences of oral cancer affected the being-in-the-world of the participants in three ways: existing as oneself, existing in the eyes of others, and existing with others. Against the background of the philosophy of Martin Heidegger, these findings illuminate how essential the mouth is to a human being's identity and existence.

Psychological characteristics versus swallowing and speech rehabilitation efficiency in patients after oral cavity cancer excision

“…Zrozumiałość mowy wskazywana jest przez chirurgów szczękowo-twarzowych jako jedno z 19 najbardziej typowych zaburzeń w tej grupie pacjentów [25]. Upośledzenie mowy utrudnia komunikację z otoczeniem i może sprawiać, że chory jest odbierany jak ktoś o niższym statusie społecznym niż rzeczywisty [26] albo też wywoływać poczucie wyobcowania, "bycia niewidzialnym" dla innych [27]. Doświad-czanie umiarkowanych lub znacznych trudności w posługiwa-niu się mową łączy się z wyższym poziomem lęku i depresji [6].…”

“…Speech intelligibility impairment is assessed by maxillo-facial surgeons as one of the 19 most serious factors among these patients [25]. Speech impairment in a patient interrupts their communication with the surrounding world and may cause the patient to be perceived as someone with lower social status than their real one [26], or it can cause a sense of alienation in the patient, "being invisible" to others [27]. Experiencing moderate or major difficulties in speech is associated with higher anxiety and depression levels [6].…”

Speaking legibly: Qualitative perceptions of altered voice among oral tongue cancer survivors

“…These findings correspond to the broader qualitative findings reported by Röing et al . [81624] survivors are initially concerned that losing the ability to speak clearly will adversely affect their personal and professional social relationships. This almost uniform concern seems strongly connected to a sense of uncertainty, suggesting the need for well-timed information and supportive care during recovery.…”

“…Furthermore, description of survivor experiences of daily life have potential to illuminate individual, familial, and sociocultural contexts of life after oral tongue cancer. [16]…”

Mutilação de cabeça e pescoço: vivendo as perdas e refazendo os caminhos

“…A comunicação é fundamental para que se estabeleçam as relações humanas e a perda desta habilidade impacta profundamente na qualidade de vida do mutilado de cabeça e pescoço e, portanto, as terapias fonoaudiológicas e a reabilitação protética deveriam ser parte integrante do planejamento das terapêuticas que culminem em mutilações de cabeça e pescoço e disfagia (Röing et al, 2009). Os mesmo autores reforçam a importância da família e dos amigos nesta socialização, e até mesmo na recuperação do doente, à medida que os discursos dos sujeitos entrevistados sobre o evento câncer de boca relatavam que as relações pessoais eram fundamentais nas fases do tratamento oncológico.…”