Ep. 20 - Head and Neck Oncology Care - Lymphedema, Fibrosis, and Research Breakthroughs with Holly McMillan

Imagine being able to feel tissue changes caused by radiation therapy—without seeing the patient or knowing their medical history. That is exactly what today’s guest, Holly McMillan, M.C.D., CCC-SLP, LMP, CLT, demonstrated in her groundbreaking research collaboration with Dr. Geoff Bove at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

In this episode, Holly shares her extraordinary journey from licensed massage therapist to Senior Research Speech Language Pathologist and Co-Director of the Trismus Clinic at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She discusses her expertise in fibrosis, lymphedema management, and head and neck cancer rehabilitation, and why manual therapy is emerging as a critical tool in oncology survivorship. As a doctoral candidate and NIH-funded clinical trial collaborator, Holly is at the forefront of evidence-based approaches that integrate touch, research, and patient empowerment.

Listeners will hear insights from Holly’s recently published studies, including safety and feasibility findings on manual therapy in head and neck cancer, and her remarkable work showing that trained therapists can palpate physiologic tissue changes after radiation—even under blinded conditions. This episode uncovers the science behind what oncology massage therapists have long known: the hands can detect what machines cannot, and healing begins with informed touch.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

• The clinical value of manual therapy in head and neck cancer rehabilitation
• How radiation affects tissue structure, lymphatics, and healing
• Blinded research findings on palpating irradiated tissue
• Empowering patients through at-home fibrosis and lymphedema protocols
• Intraoral manual therapy: safety, lubrication, and function restoration
• Debunking the myth that mature scars cannot change

View extended shownotes here

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