question: I am recovering from the side effects of treatment for esophageal cancer. My recovery has been proceeding nicely, but in recent days I have experienced slimey saliva when I eat. Ordinarily I can clear my mouth and throat within a few minutes, but today this phenomenon has persisted for hours. I am unable to eat and my throat has become quite sore from the effort to expel the slimey substance. (It looks like saliva, but it is thicker and slimier.) What is going on and what can I do?