Hi Shawn
Mine came up in April, same tie I got cold, flue symptoms and both sides of neck nodes were up then horrendous flu for two weeks followed by two weeks recovery and a follow on chest infection. Left node didn't go down and then slowly reduced but not completely. GP gave me antibiotics for a week to clear up chest infection. I went back two weeks latter as still small bump from left node that the started to grow. Thing is it was active probably late March to early April and I didn't have it out until end August. I presented 8-10 week after I would have done if no flue. Ironically, the primary was, until the last four to five weeks before surgery, no even making tonsil bigger, just showing a lighter white pinky greyish shade when first looked at in ENT.

So it had around six months to grow, had just breached but no sign growth around it and tissue tested clean but may be cell transfer. Frightening that if aware Id have been three months ahead of the game. I try hard to politely mention this to everyone to build awareness - I feel I have that duty. My classic car club, taxi drivers, friends et all - I point out the warning signs and that 80% neck lumps in adults are cancer.

I'm told on phone today that staging for head and neck isn't quite like other cancers. My T2N2aMO should not be looked at as a 4a which some matrix show and in neck it is typical that it has got to a node as that's how we mostly find out. So often if it has the primary is still very small and treatable more so than perhaps a single tumour that has already breached and is inoperable. Was also told the SSC tends not to spread other than locally in a particular hurry.

In the UK there are around 7500 head and neck cancers a year and tonsil primary is a very small number of those so I guess there is a lot still to be understood. There is anew policy in UK to treat head and neck in adults as cancer unless proved otherwise so now when presenting at GP there is an instant referral to head and neck for inspection, biopsies, PET and MRI. Adult neck lumps are assumed to be cancer until proved otherwise.

This sounds a good policy as it fast tracks stuff. I was GP to ENT in 9 days, five days for PET, MRI, biopsies and then three days after results. On the operating table in 20 days from there. Post op results ten days latter and prep for radio, chemo, etc all done in a 20 day gap to allow neck dissection to heal enough to handle rads.

Where abouts in Cal are you. My half bro is in LA.