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Pathology · single question

A 50-year-old man with prostate cancer treated by radiation to the pelvis reports xerostomia. Which is the LEAST likely cause of his dry mouth?

  1. Anxiety and mouth breathing
  2. Anticholinergic medication
  3. The radiation therapy
  4. Dehydration
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. The radiation therapy

  • A. Anxiety and chronic mouth breathing are common and plausible contributors.
  • B. Many drugs used in cancer care — antiemetics, opioids, antidepressants — are anticholinergic and are a very likely cause.
  • C. Correct (LEAST likely). Radiation causes xerostomia only when the SALIVARY GLANDS ARE WITHIN THE RADIATION FIELD. Pelvic irradiation for prostate cancer is anatomically remote from the head and neck, so it cannot damage the salivary glands. Radiation-induced xerostomia is a head-and-neck radiotherapy problem.
  • D. Dehydration from illness, poor intake, or treatment side effects readily produces dry mouth.

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