Chewing and swallowing problems

Cancer treatment can cause difficulties with chewing and swallowing. These are usually temporary, but can sometimes be permanent.

Problems chewing – People with dentures who lose weight may find their teeth become loose, making it hard to chew. Treatment for head and neck cancer sometimes involves removing teeth.

Sore mouth – Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can damage the cells lining the mouth and digestive tract, leading to ulcers and infections. This is known as mucositis and it can make it painful to eat and swallow. Mucositis usually gets better a few weeks or months after treatment ends, but you may need softer food until then.

Problems swallowing – If you’re having difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), you may need to change the consistency of your food by chopping, mincing or pureeing. Signs that the texture of food is causing problems include taking longer to chew and swallow; coughing or choking while eating or drinking; food sticking in your mouth or throat like a ball; or throat clearing after meals. A speech pathologist can monitor your ability to swallow, and a dietitian can suggest foods and make sure you are getting enough nutrition.

A person with severe difficulty swallowing will need a feeding tube to ensure adequate nutrition. This is rare for most people with cancer, but is more of a possibility with cancers affecting the head and neck, stomach or oesophagus. If a feeding tube is required, your treatment team will discuss this with you.

Suggestions for a texture-modified diet

If you need to adjust the texture of your food, this sample menu provides some ideas. Your speech pathologist and dietitian will be able to suggest many other options, and you can also try some of these recipes.

Check with your dietitian if you have another health condition, such as diabetes, or if you have been told you need thickened fluid – you may not be able to have all of the foods suggested here, or you may need to modify them.

Learn more about these food textures:

• Soft
• Minced and moist
• Smooth pureed

Soft

Food can be chewed but not necessarily bitten. It should be easily broken up with a fork and need little cutting. Sauce or gravy can be added to make it softer.

Minced and moist

Food should be soft and moist and easily form into a ball in the mouth. Small lumps can be broken up with the tongue rather than by biting or chewing.

Smooth pureed

The texture of smooth pureed food means it can be moulded, layered or piped to make it look more appealing. You can add sauce or extra liquid if you prefer.