loader from loading.io

Episode 402: Radiation Site-Specific Side Effects: Head and Neck Cancer

The ONS Podcast

Release Date: 02/13/2026

Episode 427: Pharmacology 101: Resistance Pathways show art Episode 427: Pharmacology 101: Resistance Pathways

The ONS Podcast

“A good way of thinking about this is this is the survival of the fittest clone. There could be a portion of a cancer that naturally has some resistance or ability to survive a particular drug. And over time, as the other cells around it are dying off, that particular clone is able to replicate and continue to survive in the face of that drug therapy and eventually take over as being the fittest clone. At that point, we’re often seeing disease progression,” Danielle Roman, PharmD, BCOP, manager of clinical pharmacy services at the Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute in Pittsburgh,...

info_outline Episode 426: Tools to Support Patients and Nurses Through Medical Trauma in Oncology show art Episode 426: Tools to Support Patients and Nurses Through Medical Trauma in Oncology

The ONS Podcast

“When people with PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder] get quite avoidant—and that can be expressed in so many different ways—the implications can be really profound. I think an important invitation to oncologists and oncology nurses and primary care providers who care for people battling cancer is let’s explore what's underneath these avoidant behaviors. Is it a very practical thing? Or is it that underneath this avoidant behavior is really profound fear?” James C. Jackson, PsyD, research professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN, told Lenise Taylor, MN,...

info_outline Episode 425: How AI Can Help Healthcare Organizations Improve the Cancer Experience show art Episode 425: How AI Can Help Healthcare Organizations Improve the Cancer Experience

The ONS Podcast

“In oncology specifically, where care is complex, artificial intelligence (AI) can really synthesize large volumes of clinical information, flag risks such as treatment complications, and support adherence to evidence-based pathways. For nurses specifically, this enables them more time for direct patient care, clinical judgment, and care coordination, and really practice to the top of their license while reducing repetitive time and administrative tasks,” Jenn Frith, DNP, RN, OCN®, NE-BC, associate vice president of clinical operations at Duke Cancer Institute in Durham, NC, told Jaime...

info_outline Episode 424: Radiation Site-Specific Side Effects: Cancers of the Pelvis show art Episode 424: Radiation Site-Specific Side Effects: Cancers of the Pelvis

The ONS Podcast

“Think about what organs lie in the radiation field, and anything that lies in that radiation field is likely going to have some potential temporary—hopefully temporary—side effects. If you think about the pelvis, the things that live in there are the bladder, urethra, some bowel, rectum, reproductive organs, skin, some lymph nodes. And so, all of those things could potentially have associated side effects,” ONS member Kayla Kafka-Peterson, BSN, RN, ROCN™, nurse navigator and leader in the brachytherapy and peri-anesthesia programs at UCLA Health, in Los Angeles, CA, told Lenise...

info_outline Episode 423: Pharmacology 101: Interaction Pathways show art Episode 423: Pharmacology 101: Interaction Pathways

The ONS Podcast

“When we think of drug interactions, specifically, the National Cancer Institute actually defines this as a change in the way a drug acts in the body when taken with certain other drugs, herbals, or foods or when taken with certain medical conditions. Drug interactions may cause the drug to either be more or less effective or cause effects on the body that are not expected,” Carissa Ganihong, PharmD, BCOP, oncology and bone marrow transplantation clinical pharmacist at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of oncology...

info_outline Episode 422: An Overview of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia for Oncology Nurses show art Episode 422: An Overview of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia for Oncology Nurses

The ONS Podcast

“What I appreciate about our patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic leukemia is the consideration that they receive a cancer diagnosis, and the best thing for them to do is actually nothing. There is a large population of patients that we don’t recommend any type of treatment. We recommend that they establish care with an oncologist and that they have a relationship with those care teams,” ONS member Caitilin Murphy, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, AOCNP®, chief nurse practitioner at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA, told Lenise Taylor, MN, RN, AOCNS®,...

info_outline Episode 421: Medical Trauma in Oncology show art Episode 421: Medical Trauma in Oncology

The ONS Podcast

“There are a huge array of medical dynamics that people endure, and when they leave a lasting impact, a word that we don’t use widely enough is the word ‘trauma.’ There’s an entire category of phenomena in the medical arena that are, in fact, traumatic. One way we know that these experiences are traumatic is that we know that huge portions of people who experience things like cancer do indeed develop problems like [post-traumatic stress disorder],” James C. Jackson, PsyD, research professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN,...

info_outline Episode 420: Long-Term Myelodysplastic Syndrome Considerations for Oncology Nurses show art Episode 420: Long-Term Myelodysplastic Syndrome Considerations for Oncology Nurses

The ONS Podcast

“We typically think of the disease progressing for our higher-risk patients because many of them already start with increased blasts or a lot of dysplasia. And they have these chromosomal variants that make them prone to evolving into acute myeloid leukemia (AML). With them, we can anticipate that they are going to progress to AML. And that’s what we’re trying to prevent. It’s kind of like a biologic evolution and not a switch,” ONS member Sara Tinsley-Vance, PhD, APRN, AOCN®, nurse practitioner and quality-of-life researcher at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL, told Lenise...

info_outline Episode 419: Pharmacology 101: Immunomodulators show art Episode 419: Pharmacology 101: Immunomodulators

The ONS Podcast

“Until immunomodulators, patients [with myeloma] did not have a great overall survival rate. But when we introduced lenalidomide, we started seeing our patients have life expectancies between five and seven years—which was unheard of prior to these immunomodulators going forward. I think it’s promising and allows patients to have quality of life versus therapy of life,” ONS member Daniel Verina, DNP, RN, ACNP-BC, nurse practitioner for the multiple myeloma program at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, NY, told Lenise Taylor, MN, RN, AOCNS®, TCTCN™, oncology clinical specialist...

info_outline Episode 418: Radiation Site-Specific Side Effects: Colorectal Cancer show art Episode 418: Radiation Site-Specific Side Effects: Colorectal Cancer

The ONS Podcast

“Radiation therapy is often extremely well tolerated in colorectal cancer. Technology has really changed things. But location of the tumor can affect side effects, such as radiation dermatitis. If a patient has a low-lying tumor, if it’s less than six centimeters from the anal verge, the patient is likely to have some skin reaction. It’s good to be proactive if that’s the case,” ONS member Lorraine Drapek, DNP, FNP-BC, AOCNP®, nurse practitioner in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®,...

info_outline
 
More Episodes

“It’s important to clarify that most patients will experience and at least some side effects—and often several. So prevention really means reducing severity, complications, and long-term impact rather than avoiding side effects altogether. This process starts before radiation begins and continues throughout the treatment and includes dental evaluation, baseline swallowing assessments, and thorough patient education,” ONS member Astrid Amoresano, RN, OCN®, lead oncology nurse specialist at New York Proton Center in New York, NY, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a conversation about side effects of radiation for head and neck cancer.

Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod

Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0

Earn 0.5 contact hours of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by listening to the full recording and completing an evaluation at courses.ons.org by February 13, 2027. The planners and faculty for this episode have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. ONS is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

Learning outcome: Learners will report an increase in knowledge related to radiation side effects in people with head and neck cancer.

Episode Notes 

To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities.

To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library.

To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email pubONSVoice@ons.org.

Highlights From This Episode

“Many tumors in the region are very radiosensitive, and radiation can be used either as definitive treatment or after surgery to reduce the risk of reoccurrence, but in many cases, radiation is combined with chemotherapy to improve local control. Because so many vital structures are located in this small complex area, radiation allows us to treat the cancer while minimizing the need for extensive or disfiguring surgery.” TS 2:40

“The most common acute side effects of head and neck radiation: effects to the mouth, the throat, the skin, and the energy level. Patients often experience a mucositis, pain or sore throat, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, or thick saliva, and taste changes. Skin irritation and redness in the treatment field is also common and can progress to dry and moist desquamation. Fatigue is another frequent side effect and tends to build as treatment progresses. Emotional and psychological distress are also very common in this patient population and can have an impact on daily function and quality of life. Side effects usually develop gradually, often beginning in the second and third week of radiation and may be more severe or have an earlier onset in patients receiving concurrent chemotherapy.” TS 4:02

“Pain management is essential so patients can continue eating and drinking. Supporting the energy level and maintaining hydration are also key, as fatigue and dehydration can significantly worsen other side effects. Oral care protocols help manage mucositis and nutrition support may include supplements or enteral feeding if needed.” TS 11:24

“Sexual health might not be the first thing nurses think of in regard to head and neck radiation. … But even though radiation for head and neck cancer doesn’t involve the reproductive organs, it can still have a significant impact on sexual health and intimacy. Like fatigue, pain, dry mouth, changes in speech and visible changes in appearance can all affect body image and relationships.” TS 14:52

“One of the common misconceptions is that side effects end when radiation ends. In reality, some effects peak afterward or become long term. Xerostomia, or dry mouth, and taste changes are good examples. While some patients improve, others adjust to a new normal where dry mouth and altered taste are permanent.” TS 19:53