Chemoradiotherapy
You might have chemoradiotherapy:
as your main treatment for oropharyngeal cancer if surgery is not a suitable option
after surgery for mouth cancer that has spread into surrounding tissues or into nearby lymph nodes
after surgery for oropharyngeal cancer that has spread into surrounding tissues or outside lymph nodes
for advanced oropharyngeal cancer
Your exact treatment plan depends on your situation.
Your radiotherapy might last for about 6 to 7 weeks. You usually have it daily for 5 days every week, Monday to Friday.
Your chemotherapy may be every 3 to 4 weeks or weekly. Chemotherapy uses anti cancer (cytotoxic) drugs to destroy cancer cells. The drugs circulate throughout the body in the bloodstream.
Chemoradiotherapy can be quite a tough treatment. It can cause damage to some healthy cells at the same time. This might cause side effects. You will need some tests to check you are well enough to cope with it.
You usually have treatment in the chemotherapy day unit or you might need to stay in hospital for a day or more.
The most common drugs used for mouth and oropharyngeal cancer are cisplatin and fluorouracil (5FU).
Find out more about these chemotherapy drugs
You have treatment in the hospital radiotherapy department.
Before you begin treatment, the radiotherapy team works out:
how much radiation you need to treat your cancer
how to deliver the treatment as safely as possible
They divide the dose of radiotherapy into a number of smaller treatments. They call each treatment a fraction. This is called radiotherapy planning.
You will also have a mask made. The radiographers use this to help keep you in the correct position for the treatment.
Read more about having a radiotherapy mask
Treatment usually starts about 2 weeks after the planning session
You have radiotherapy from an external machine as a daily treatment, five days a week for several weeks. You wear your mask and lie under a large machine during your treatment. Each session of your treatment usually takes about 15 minutes.
Find out more about radiotherapy
If you smoke, your doctor will advise you to stop. Smoking during treatment can make the side effects worse. It can be difficult to stop smoking. So if you feel you need more support, you can ask your specialist nurse, oncologist or treatment team. They can direct you to your local stop smoking service.
Read more about how you can stop smoking
Chemoradiotherapy can cause side effects during the treatment and afterwards.
Read more about side effects of mouth and oropharyngeal cancer chemoradiotherapy
Last reviewed: 29 Aug 2024
Next review due: 29 Aug 2027
Mouth and oropharyngeal cancer develop when abnormal cells in the mouth and oropharynx divide and grow uncontrollably.
Your treatment depends on where in your mouth or oropharynx your cancer is, the type, how big it is, whether it has spread anywhere else in your body and your general health.
Getting practical and emotional support can help you cope with your diagnosis, and life during and after treatment.
Radiotherapy for mouth and oropharyngeal cancer has side effects. Knowing what to expect can help you to cope with them.
Most chemotherapy side effects are temporary, but some people are affected months or years after treatment.
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