i am a 31 year old male with no previous history of a serious illness and i only smoke/drink socially

It all began when i got really sick and had a very swollen throat 4 months ago which i did not have checked. Since then I've had a sore throat that comes and goes. First it began as a discomfort(no pain) when swallowing saliva. I went to an ENT and after taking some allergy and anti-inflammatory medication it went away but in its place i had a sore throat on the right side of my throat. I visited again and was prescribed a 3 day antibiotic. After that it didn't go away so i visited another ENT who said i may have lemphadenitis and prescribed different antibiotics for 1 week. The throat pain ceased and in its place i got a clicking whenever i swallowed.

Then i had tooth-work done to fix 2 frontal teeth and i have been stitched and taking different antibiotics to prevent infection since last week. So, now the clicking when i swallow is almost gone but again i have throat pain which comes and goes, again on the right side. Also, i have noticed that 2 of my lymph nodes seem a bit hard on the right side of my neck in the back but not enlarged enough to show without searching for them. The lymph node(or that's what i think it is) next to my larynx feels soft and painful to the touch but not enlarged either. I generally feel the right side of my throat a bit sensitive and since a couple of days ago i wake up with a sore Jaw at the right side next to my ear which seems to be persisting and i have had a stiff neck since months ago but this may be due to me sitting on the computer for long hours due to my work.

So far i have had 2 Laryngoscopies which showed nothing and had allergy/anti inflammatory and 3x types of antibiotics over the span of a month and a half.

The set of symptoms i have has been persisting or changing throughout a period of 4 months. Apart from those i haven't observed any other symptoms. Both ENT that i visited suggested that it can be related to allergies and one of them mentioned lemphadenitis and said that if my second row of antibiotics doesn't help i should do an ultrasound/biopsy. So, in a few days i'll have an ultrasound or MRI if i don't see any improvements with my issues.

I fear that this could be something serious, like oral cancer.

Anyone experiencing a similar set of symptoms or have an idea on what could be causing them?
Also, What information would be revealed from the MRI or ultrasound and which one would you suggest that i do?

Thanks in advance

MY only advice is to STOP SMOKING, socially or not!!!!!! Do you know how many people come to this site and end up DIEING because they smoked??? Stop and see if that helps.

[quote=davidcpa]MY only advice is to STOP SMOKING, socially or not!!!!!! Do you know how many people come to this site and end up DIEING because they smoked??? Stop and see if that helps. [/quote]

Thanks for your advice . When i mentioned smoking i meant once a week or even more rarely. Off-course now it's out of the question.

It sounds to me like a rampant infection however push until you be a definitive answer you are not too young to have cancer - not that I think it is but jut that some drs think that it's an older person's smokers and drinkers disease.good luck on the MRI.. Which btw is better than an ultrasound...

[quote=Cheryld]It sounds to me like a rampant infection however push until you be a definitive answer you are not too young to have cancer - not that I think it is but jut that some drs think that it's an older person's smokers and drinkers disease.good luck on the MRI.. Which btw is better than an ultrasound... [/quote]

Thank you for the response.

General question: Do symptoms of oral cancer come and go from one day to another? For example, yesterday my throat was giving me a lot of pain but today i can barely feel it. I am planning to have a scan regardless..

No usually oral cancer symptomology is persistent - though some are actually painless. This isn't 100% of course because with cancer there are no absolutes and we are all individuals. But cancer generally doesn't "get better" do have the scan it should highlight any areas of trouble. Best of luck.

[quote=athosprv]

General question: Do symptoms of oral cancer come and go from one day to another? For example, yesterday my throat was giving me a lot of pain but today i can barely feel it. I am planning to have a scan regardless.. [/quote]

My experience was no pain. I first noticed swollen lymph nodes on the left side of my neck last August that came up with a sinus infection. Two rounds of antibiotics didn't get rid of them. They weren't painful at all, just hard.

I was Dx'd Nov. 30th 2012. At that point the glands were approx. 2cm. By the time they did the surgery (Feb 7th - selective neck dissection) they had grown to approx. 5cm. Just prior to the surgery I was feeling discomfort as they were putting pressure on areas inside my neck. I could feel a fullness and some slight pain on a regular basis but up until that point, other than seeing the swelling, there was no pain.

"T"

[quote=fishmanpa][quote=athosprv]

General question: Do symptoms of oral cancer come and go from one day to another? For example, yesterday my throat was giving me a lot of pain but today i can barely feel it. I am planning to have a scan regardless.. [/quote]

My experience was no pain. I first noticed swollen lymph nodes on the left side of my neck last August that came up with a sinus infection. Two rounds of antibiotics didn't get rid of them. They weren't painful at all, just hard.

I was Dx'd Nov. 30th 2012. At that point the glands were approx. 2cm. By the time they did the surgery (Feb 7th - selective neck dissection) they had grown to approx. 5cm. Just prior to the surgery I was feeling discomfort as they were putting pressure on areas inside my neck. I could feel a fullness and some slight pain on a regular basis but up until that point, other than seeing the swelling, there was no pain.

"T"

[/quote]

were your glands visible when you discovered them?

Thank you

[quote=athosprv][quote=fishmanpa][quote=athosprv]
were your glands visible when you discovered them?

Thank you [/quote]


In August when I first felt the swollen glands, you couldn't see them unless I tilted my head a certain way. By November when I was Dx'd you could clearly see them. By February before the surgery it looked like I had the mumps on the left side of my neck. It was as if once the cancer was discovered, it got pissed off and started growing rapidly.

Did the ENTs you went to do a fine needle biopsy?

"T"

[quote=fishmanpa][quote=athosprv][quote=fishmanpa]


In August when I first felt the swollen glands, you couldn't see them unless I tilted my head a certain way. By November when I was Dx'd you could clearly see them. By February before the surgery it looked like I had the mumps on the left side of my neck. It was as if once the cancer was discovered, it got pissed off and started growing rapidly.

Did the ENTs you went to do a fine needle biopsy?

"T"[/quote]

hey T,

I just returned from my ultrasound test. The radiologist there scanned all the area of my front neck and thyroid and i also pinpointed the location where i thought that my lymph nodes are hard, so he scanned there as well.

He said that it looks like nothing serious; just a small inflammation of my lymph nodes and that an infection, especially if viral could take a long time to heal.

I have scheduled to see my ENT later today to show him the ultrasound scans. My guess is that i will be prescribed another round of antibiotics.

I have not had a fine needle biopsy yet but its on my mind...

If anything at this point was a serious cause for concern, they would be all over it.

After the second round of antibiotics and no change in the glands, I had a CT done which confirmed the issue. At my visit with the first ENT, he did a scope and thorough exam. I asked him to be straight up. He looked me in the eyes and said he thought it was cancer. He didn't know what type but had seen enough through the years to be sure it was. He said if he was wrong he would be very happy to admit it. He did a fine needle biopsy and I got confirmation the following week.

From everything you've described, it would seem that there is no reason to be alarmed. I'm sure your ENT will confirm that.

Positive thoughts and prayers. Let us know what they say!

"T"

[quote=fishmanpa]If anything at this point was a serious cause for concern, they would be all over it.

After the second round of antibiotics and no change in the glands, I had a CT done which confirmed the issue. At my visit with the first ENT, he did a scope and thorough exam. I asked him to be straight up. He looked me in the eyes and said he thought it was cancer. He didn't know what type but had seen enough through the years to be sure it was. He said if he was wrong he would be very happy to admit it. He did a fine needle biopsy and I got confirmation the following week.

From everything you've described, it would seem that there is no reason to be alarmed. I'm sure your ENT will confirm that.

Positive thoughts and prayers. Let us know what they say!

"T"

[/quote]

Thank you for your concerns.

I have visited the ENT after taking the ultrasound scan. Both the ENT and the radiologist reassured me that there is nothing of worry. The radiologist measured my lymph nodes and found them to be at a good size, just slightly inflamed. The ENT said that i am actually less swollen than 2 weeks ago.

Both doctors said that some inflammations which are viral in nature can take a long time to heal. Also, due to the fact that i have recently had oral surgery to fix my teeth, i get pains all over my mouth/jawbone/tongue which is another reason that i have been concerned with all these pains coming in and then going.

My gf suggests that to be sure, i should have a blood test and if i don't feel better soon, i may go ahead and have a fine needle biopsy right after i move to the UK.

I understand that it may be considered by the community that my concerns are premature and that i am going through a hypochodriac phase but i am going through the scare none the less and being proactive can save your life in the long run.

While going through my concerns i realized that cancer patients are nothing less than fearless warriors and i have developed a unique respect to all of you that i will carry onward in my life.

I will be closely monitoring my symptoms until they are gone(or not)and i will update here with any news.

Best of luck everyone

Ath

Why a blood test? Oral cancer will not show up on a blood test. Plus your symptoms are irregular which isnt how oral cancer usually presents itself.

Sounds to me like the oral surgery has something to do with your symptoms.

Using tobacco can hinder heeling so that could be part of why you havent heeled quickly. Glad to hear you have now stopped using tobacco.

I hope you feel better very soon!

A biopsy by way of a fine needle aspiration will most likely provide the proof either way.

I too had a painless swollen node (2 in fact) and I was put on antibiotics and after the first course where they decreased in size by 1/2 a well known cancer doc SHOOK MY HANDS while saying to me "Congratulations you don't have cancer!" Next doc was an ENT who did a FNA and BAM, Stage IV SCC.

I too had a painless swollen lymph node that seem to decrease with antibiotics. I had 2 rounds of antibiotics,blood tests, X-rays, CAT scan, fine needle biopsy, and a scope all were inconclusive, the blood test showed nothing to be alarmed about. It wasn't until they put me under to do a frozen biopsy the surgeon discovered (visually, before the biopsy result were back) stage IV tonsil cancer with mets. I still wonder how the surgeon could tell me it was cancer by looking at it and all the other test were inconclusive. Granted its very rare in my age, I just don't think they were thinking cancer.
But that being said, all my tests were inconclusive, knowing now I would have pushed harder for an answer instead of waiting patiently for the next test to be done as months slipped by.
I guess what I am saying is until you have an answer keep asking.

davidcpa and rosymonroe

How swollen were your lymph nodes before taking antibiotics and where were they located? Also, were they visible and how fast did they grow?

I had 2 laryngoscopies by 2 separate ENT's who said my throat looks clean. Also, when the radiologist did an ultrasound he measured my lymph nodes and said they are normal sized. I have been touching them a lot so my impression of "swollen" may have been "irritated" instead.

rosymonroe, was your tonsil swollen at the time you had the biopsy where the doctor visually confirmed your cancer? Can you describe your Jaw pain?

I first noticed my totally painless "lump" on the left side of my neck while shaving. I waited about another month before I pointed it out to my wife. No one had noticed it before then but when I showed my wife she went ballistic and yelled "My God you got golf balls in there." Were it not for her I don't think I would be posting today!

My lump began in November 2012, I would say it was about 3/4 of a golf ball size the majority of the time until after the biopsy in January 2013, I am not sure what the biopsy did but after that it grew much larger faster, if I turned my head to the side it was visible. The needle biopsy was inconclusive, I am not sure if that was because they did not get a good sample or what, I do remember somethings that were said between the nurse and the DR at the time of the biopsy and I got the impression she didn't know what to mix with the sample and he was frustrated, I didn't feel real strong about the way it was done and wasn't surprised when I didn't get a definitive answer from the results. The lump itself was not painful, my jaw and ear had an off and on ache, it would get pretty bad at times, it was bad enough I needed some pain relief to make it thru some days. That began October 2012, I remember because it was a weekend and I actually missed watching one of the major college football games to go to the urgent care for the pain (that is pretty severe pain for me). At that time I was diagnosed with TMJ and told to wear a mouth guard at night and stop grinding my teeth. HA! He did look in my throat and said it had a "few spots on in and the tonsil was little swollen" and he gave me some antibiotics if I wanted to take them. Another thing I have often wondered about, the last year or so before my surgery I had begun having terrible sleep apnea and snoring, since my surgery and the removal of my tonsils I barely snore at all, I often wonder how long the cancer was on my tonsil, by the time they removed it it was (I believe he said) almost 4 cm. The surgeon removed both of my tonsils, 2 lymph node, and the cancer had spread to surrounding my carotid artery and was attached a nerve from my shoulder, he thought I would have difficulty with that shoulder because he actually had to pick it off the nerve.
The surgeon told my family after surgery (I listened later because they recorded it) That once he got in there it was obvious to him by the way it looked and felt the tonsil was cancer and the primary source. Maybe he had a better view of it than the scope, I don't know. I do know that along my journey there were several red flags that my Dr and I dismissed, I dismissed because I was a 38 year old female, we don't get throat cancer!! And I have been so healthy my whole life, never a broken bone, surgery, hospital stay, I had never even had an IV till this! So that's my story, most of it I have 1.5 weeks of tx left and I will take it from there.
As I said before the lesson I learned is pay attention to things going on in your body and keep asking questions until you get answers. Statistics don't mean a thing, all they mean is some people have cancer some don't.

From what i read in your posts, it seems that my symptoms are not quite consistent throughout time for me or the ENTs to link to anything other than an infection, which itself is not confirmed either, that's why i'm baffled...

It all started with getting sick (swollen tonsils, trouble swallowing, nausea) which lasted for around 2 days
-Then occasionally a small discomfort swallowing saliva, no pain
-Then that went away and i got a mild sore throat when swallowing
-Then the pain went away and i got clicking in the throat when swallowing
- Then the mild pain came back with some jaw pain, comes and goes throughout the day, pain disappears with 2 panadol(paracetamol)

All this throughout the span of 4+ months

From what rosymonroe and davidcpa mention, there was a lump around 3/4 the size of a gold ball. I have not had anything close to that. I had to actually push my finger on my neck to feel my nodes, i just had the impression they are irritated but are not visible at all when i turn my neck.

I have been checking the back of my throat and tonsils but i see no swelling and feel no tonsil pain, or at least i cant locate the pain to be on the tonsil.

If there was a possibility of tonsil cancer, would it be more obvious by now? Would the scope laryngoscopy+ultrasound detect it? Also, if i would decide to have a FNA, where would the sample be taken from, in this case?

My scope, CAT scan, and X-ray, and FNB were all inconclusive. You said your doctors told you there was nothing to worry about right? That is a big difference, my doctors never told me not to worry, they just never mentioned cancer but couldn't figure out what was going on (although infected lymph node was mentioned a few times in the beginning) until the surgery for the frozen biopsy, which is exactly why I had that surgery, if they could have figured out what was going on before I would not have had the surgery.
As far as tonsil cancer being more obvious, I wouldn't know, 4 doctors looked in my throat and it was never mentioned until the surgeon opened me up.
I'm not a doctor, I don't know. I think I was just trying to say keep pushing until you get an answer. Perhaps them saying it nothing to worry about is answer enough.
I have been seeing on this site that certain dentist screen for oral cancer. My mother said hers does and its my understanding that it is a light they can shine in your mouth (someone please correct me if I am wrong).
I know after this whole ordeal I will be finding a dentist that screens for OC and I won't go to one that doesn't. Maybe that is something you could look into to help put your mind at rest.

With this starting with some kind of infection/virus. With two laryngoscopies coming back clear. With inconsistent symptoms of discomfort for 4 months in your throat and no real discernible lymph swelling it doesn't present itself as typical H&N cancer. If there are no obvious swollen lymph nodes then getting a FNA would not be likely. Blood work would not indicate H&N cancer but some cancers (lymphoma) will show blood counts that are off. Again, you're not presenting symptomatic cancer symptoms.

The only thing that even made me suspicious something was wrong is the swelling didn't go away after the first round of antibiotics. It went down a little bit but didn't go away. This was because I actually had an infection on top of the cancer. After the 2nd round of drugs with no change, I had a CT done which confirmed abnormal level 2 lymph nodes. It was very obvious where to stick the needle for the FNA.

The swollen lymph nodes were not painful. I had no difficulty eating or swallowing. I felt fine with the exception of some fatigue which started in early October. It wasn't until I had the FNA that the cancer started to accelerate it's growth. By the time I had my 2nd surgery (Feb. 7th) I was feeling ill.

I'm not a doctor so these are just words on a screen. However, for your peace of mind, I suggest you do whatever you feel you need to do to get the answers you seek. It's my hope that I'm 100% right!

Positive thoughts and prayers,

"T"

Thanks for all responses.

I've been having so many different kinds of symptoms over the last few months that come and go that i have lost count, but again all inconclusive on what is causing them.

I will be closely monitoring my health and hopefully things will get better. I also have an MRI in mind if i don't see any improvement within the month of June.

I will be updating with any news.

Best of luck and hope you all get (and stay)healthy soon!

Ath