subject: Incorporating Speech Pathology Into Cancer Treatment [print this page] When radiation is used to treat cancers of the head, neck and mouth, it can weaken the muscles normally used for swallowing. This can make eating a chore at best, downright dangerous at worst. Yet medical science has discovered that speech pathology before cancer treatment begins could help strengthen the throat muscles so they're better able to withstand radiation treatment. Continuing the speech therapy exercises throughout the cancer treatment and into the post-treatment period mitigates a lot of the issues with swallowing.
To some degree, radiation also weakens the muscles in the throat used to form speech. After cancer treatment is completed it is sometimes necessary for a speech pathologist to work with the patient to strengthen those muscles so that speech returns to normal. Those who've been trained properly for speech pathology jobs are the most qualified to handle these types of treatments.
Speech Pathology after Surgery
Perhaps a more acute need for speech therapy in relation to neck and mouth cancer is realized in cases where surgery is required. A particular patient may have had large amounts of tissue have been removed from the mouth or throat in order to be completely rid of cancer. In such a case, the patient must learn to make the best use of the remaining tissue for swallowing and speech. This can be a fairly easy task or a difficult one, depending on how much tissue was removed and where was located.
Outlook for Speech Pathology Jobs
According to numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, speech pathology jobs have a positive outlook right now. Furthermore, the profession is expected to see more than 20 percent growth through the year 2020 if current trends continue. If those numbers are correct, some 28,000 to 30,000 new speech pathology jobs will be added to the current workforce in the next eight years.
Though you must earn your master's degree and be licensed according to the regulations in your state, a career as a speech pathologist allows you to make a good living, with an annual salary of more than $60,000. More importantly, it offers those who want to work directly with patients a real opportunity to make a difference in someone's life. Speech pathology runs the gamut from helping young children with speech impediments all the way to aiding the elderly recovering from illness, accident or surgery. Improving patients" lives often ends up being the greatest reward for the speech pathologist.
by: Stephanie Miller
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