My sister was diagnosed with cancer of the tonsils (squamous cell) on 2-22-02. She had surgery on this date, and one of her tonsils was removed along with lymph nodes on her right side. We will get the full pathology report on 3/4/02. So far she will be going to the Disney Institute for radiation treatments twice a day for 8 weeks after she heals a little from the surgery. My question is wanting to know if her surgeon moved quick enough to diagnose this disease. It was a month from her going to doctor to surgery. The lump sprang up in her neck 3 days before going to doctor. An ent surgeon did the surgery. She is only 44 and has never smoked or drank. She has three teenage kids and a husband. We are all so shocked at her diagnosis. I will be driving her to treatments and want to know what to expect. I am just so afraid but I do not voice this around her. Please help!

30 days in the course of a squamous cell carcinoma would not make the difference in whether it metastasized to her neck or not. It was there long before the node started to enlarge. Having not smoked or used alcohol heavily, she is one of us that compose the 25% of oral cancer patients that didn't use either. The current thinking is that these cancers are viral in origin, likely HPV. You can read more about HPV in the news archives, and on the cancer facts page of the web site. There is anecdotal evidence that suggests that those of us who were in this 25% group have slightly better odds of living longer than those who got their cancer from the use of tobacco products. As to her being only 44, this is a disease of those over forty and she falls into the normal age group for oral cancers. When you see older people with it, they are usually smokers, and there is a time/dosage relationship that accompanies the exposure to the toxins in tobacco. Radiation treatments will be taxing for her, but the effects of them will pass with time. It will seem like a long time, for me it was about one month of recovery for every week of radiation before I felt normal again. (Or I should say as normal as any of us ever feel after all this.) But life WILL return to normal and be good again. Just try to keep her focused on that positive future. Next week we will be putting up the portion of the web site that deals with the oral/dental problems that you go through during radiation, trismus, mucositis, xerostomia, thick mucous in your mouth and throat. Most of these will also pass with time. If the center she is going to is using IMRT, this is a new radiation technique that spares the salivary glands from radiation exposure and the lifelong dry mouth that it causes. Ask her doctors about it. If you have any questions, we will all try to help you with answers, and you can email me directly if you like. Try to stay positive, and remember that there are lots of us survivors out here for whom life has returned to normal and happy.

Dear Jake,
I too had squamous cell cancer of the tonsil..left side. No, I do not smoke or drink for that matter. The ENT Doctor said it is rare to get this unless you do that. I don't know about that. After the treatment..chemo and radiation and of course the original surgery I am feeling better 5 months after treatment. I still get tired fairly easy. I only work 3 days a month as I am on disability. I am waiting to get my strength back before I commit to full time work. My white count is still low. Think positive, pray and give alot of love. That is what your sister needs. Love

Thank you for writing. My sister's name is also Debbie. She is now finished w/ radiation (as of 4-27-02).
She must heal for 2 weeks and then more x-rays to see if the radiation worked. Today she was very sick (nauseua and depressed and a lot of anxiety). She has had to be IV'd twice in the last two weeks because she has nothing in her. It seems to make her feel much better. I called her oncologist today and could get no further than a nurse that told me that her oncologist was unavailable today and if she felt that bad she needed to go to the ER. I called her family Dr. and he called and got something done. She has an appt tomorrow morning with her oncologist. I don'y know why it took another Dr. before any help was given. I am beginning to think that the disease is treated and some medical folks forget that their is a human spirit attached. It is so hard to watch her suffer like this and not be able to do anything. Thanks for writing.

Molly.......I'm sorry to hear that your sister is feeling so poorly right now; however, it sounds all pretty normal in terms of recovery. It may take awhile, but your sister will get better, I promise! I was hospitalized two times after completing my radiation treatments and both times it was because I was dehydrated and very sick from that. I had no idea how sick that could make a person until that happend to me. Try and have your sister drink as many fluids as possible and if she has a feeding tube, drink all day long. I thought I was taking in enough liquid but I wasn't even close, finally a kind nurse sat me down and told me exactly how much I need to drink in order to say hydrated and feeling well. Once I began getting the necessary fluids in me I began to feel better and I was able to stay out of the hospital. I hope your sister begins to feel better soon! Keep us posted on her recovery. Sincerely, Donna