Hello. My grandfather died of head and neck cancer about 10 years ago. I started in his neck, and spread into his head and brain. I was young at the time, and have no details other than it was very sad and I miss him.

My 15 year old son has had a sore throat for over 3 weeks. It hurts him to swallow both food and drink. He snores at night, and his tonsils and adenoids were removed when he was 3.

He takes 800 mg motrin 3 times a day. The gave him Penicillin, even tho the strep test came back negative. 2 Mono tests are negative as well.

He has had absolutely no cough or cold symptoms. He has been tested twice for allergies in the last 2 years, and negative both times.

He was tested for reflux less than two years ago for a chronic cough- that has gone away- by a 24 hour ph test. No evidence of any reflux form that test.

He was diagnosed first with mono. 2 tests say no mono. Then, a virus. Perhaps a virus lasts 3 weeks? Now, the doc says try Prilosec. Ok.

He has a tender lymph node on the right side, his only other symptom.

We want to take him to an ENT. We have an appt today to request this.

I realize lots of people come to this forum with common symptoms, find out they are fine, and are never seen again.

My son's young age makes any kind of cancer unlikely, but his throat is not improving. Everything they say it is, it isn't.

Please advise me, if you would be so kind.

I want to ask for an ENT appt, and have the doc look down his throat with the scope.

Would it be too much to ask for a CT scan of his throat and chest?

Thank you so much for your time and help. This forum leaves me humbled...thank you.

Welcome to OCF. I am very hopeful that you will not need our services for your son. I am basing this partly on his age. You are a good strong parent making sure your child is taken care of. He may need an advocate to ensure he is thoroughly checked. We have seen some young people with oral cancer (OC) come thru here. The youngest person I know of with OC was only 17 when he first got it. His was a direct result from using chewing tobacco. We also had another young girl here who was 18 when she was first diagnosed, I believe she had been a smoker. I know of another young person who is 17 and going thru a childhood form of cancer in her mouth, Im sorry but I do not know the name of it but I could probably find out.

The ENT is the one to go to for this. A scope would be able to see whats in there that is bothering his throat. A tender lymph node is a sign of infection so the antibiotics could be helpful. But a virus would not be affected by them. It could be just post nasal drip irritating his throat. I really think a qualified ENT is the way to go and they will be able to get to the bottom of whats going on. I dont think they will order a CT scan until other things have been checked. But then again I am not a doctor, I am a 3 time oral cancer survivor with 5 years of learning things from this forum.

Good luck!!!!

Hi... Welcome and as a mother I sincerely hope it's nothing. However yes... Go to and ENT... A good one familiar with head and neck cancer... Not all are. Christine is right his age wold make it rare but sadly not unheard of... David1989 was 18 when diagnosed with it and he had no precursors for this disease and it was aggressive. Even though it is rare there are quite a few here in their 20s who also have been dx'd with it - so don't be put off by a dr. Who says... Impossible it's an old smoker and drinker's disease - the demographics have changed, read my footer - I have never smoked, or drank alcohol.

That said its likely an infection of some sort, whatever the case don't give up until you have an answer and know exactly what is causing his problems. Good luck

Hi Beth - What a good mother you are to be checking everything out! Please do get to an ENT soon. As others have said, it's probably nothing but the sooner you get to an ENT experienced with head and neck cancer, the sooner you will feel better. It can be so stressful on a mother when a child gets sick. Check back soon and let us know what's happening.

Thank you so much for your kind replies.

I have an appointment for him on Oct 2nd at an ENT in our area.

I know that this is very unlikely, and people here have real issues and need help and I am probably just taking up space over worrying.

But something is not right. His voice sounds different, and he has a tender pain on one side of his windpipe area.

The doc said does not have an infection, and has not offered antibiotics.

It's hard not to worry when it's your child, if you can call the specialist tell them you're very worried - if there's a cancellation for an earlier date then you can be there. Two weeks isn't too bad a wait but hy stress yourself longer than you have to? Hugs

Please don't ever feel you are taking up space. We all know what it's like to be worried and not really know where to go for the answers. That is why this site is so great.
I would also ask to be put on their cancellation list. Can't hurt.
Let us know how it goes. We're here for you!!
Kathy

Try and get that appt moved up or find another ENT. That's too long to worry, hopefully about nothing.

They can move up your appointment! My son had an appointment two weeks away for the ENT. I was in such a state I could barely talk on the phone. My ex-daughter-in-law called the ENT for me, pretended to be still married to my son and got the appointment for the very next business day (from Friday when she called to the next Monday). They can do it. They can call and ask another non-urgent patient to switch their appointment with yours. I know they do this because after my son's surgery, when he was in the non-urgent appointment category, several times the doctor's office would call and asked me if my son's appointment could be changed to accommodate someone else. I never found out exactly what my daughter-in-law said to get my son's first appointment switched- maybe she just cried a lot but whatever, it worked. Nobody should have to wait that long and endure that kind of stress. Nobody! So get the appointment moved up, or as Davidcpa says, get another ENT.

My fam doc referred me to the ENT affiliated with Cooper Hosp- the system he was part of. I was told the one ENT wasn't taking new patients, the other was, but not til October. I called my fam doc back and told him this was unacceptable, that he needed to do something- and he did. Granted it was a 2-week wait in that case, but it was better than the 2 months that I was offered. As said in another post, I ended up firing that ENT anyway, and moving to Fox Chase Cancer Center. Should your son's situation turn out to be in any way questionable for cancer, please don't waste time like I did- get to a CCC where they are qualified to help your son. Positive thoughts- it won't be necessary and you won't have to keep on stressing!