Has anyone acquired strep throat after having throat cancer?

I had bilateral tonsillectomies with positive cancer on the left in August of 2012.

I had a cold, which come along with a sore throat, but now the cold is better (almost gone) and my throat has gotten worse.

I just looked in the mirror and I can see white patches in the back of my left side. This is the same side as my cancer. I'm starting to freak out a bit.

Should I contact my doctors on Monday?

~Kerri

You probably should see your doctor as it looks like an infection. However, at this point I wouldn't assume it's strep. I've had multiple bouts with throat issues that looked like infection both during and after treatment (which ended 5 months ago).

They have cultured it (and nothing grew) showing it's not bacterial (ie it's viral). They have said the viral just has to run it's course as there isn't a lot available to treat viral infections with. In all instances, give it a week to ten days and it's been gone (for me).

I have also been told that at the surgery site (I only had one tonsil removed) you can expect white puffies that look like infection for awhile. Your's being two years ago worries me a little more than mine (5 months) does, another reason to discuss with the doc.

I hope this helps
Tony

Kerri,

With the immune system roller coaster ride for a while after treatment, you need to get it checked by a doctor. One if the dangers if strep is the body's natural immune response creates antibodies that cause things like RA, scarlet fever, rheumatic fever. They all are permanent lifelong problems. Identification of strep is important and maybe one of the easiest things to treat.

When in doubt, consult with a doctor. You are reaching the point of looking for a family physician if you don't have one. Many don't like to deal with after effects of treatment but at some point, oncologists don't manage the day to day.

See your doctor on Monday. It can be a number of oral conditions or infections, which can be bacterial, fungal or viral origin, and would need proper medications to treat. Strep throat can be bacterial, but there are viral ones too, and white patches in the mouth can be thrush, a fungal infection, or combination of infections, and in the throat thrush is esphogitis, can go to the stomach, become systemic from there into the bloodline, which is then invasive or dissemintared candiasis, which has a high rate of failure, the same with strep throat, can go to the lungs, become systemic too, and be more difficult to treat.

Good luck

hey everybody,
I hate that the stuff always seems to happen over the weekend. I just went to the local urgent care center in my rapid strep came back negative. They're sending it out for a routine throat culture.

I am having a bit of a freak out. They're going to put me on augmentin. I saw a PA, and she said that I had someone millimeter ulcers in my throat and I have an ulcer on my tongue right in the middle.

I sent a message to my med once fellow, as I have her email.

I hope it's nothing serious.

Mucocitis causes ulcers too, as well as other oral conditions, some quite common with treatment, but you're doing the right thing by keeping on top of it, visiting urgent care, and letting your treatment team know. You had me laughing, not thats its it's funny, but ironic, everything seems to happen at night and on weekends! That's why I keep an arsenal of meds ready lol. Good question everyone should ask the treatment center, who do I contact off hours? I had a list of numbers for chemo, but not always or everywhere I was treated. If in doubt, there is always the ER.

Thanks, Paul. I'm so sorry that you've had so much trouble, after reading your signature. I'd call the on-call at the cancer center, but I'm sure there's not much they could do until they see me. The one who is on-call doesn't know me.

If you have dry mouth, I'm guessing oral thrush(candidiasis)... I just went thru this, looked like I had cottage cheese growing in my throat, onset was almost overnight,4

Brian,

I do have dry mouth, despite constantly drinking water.

It has worsened today and aside from the ulcers, my tongue does seem to be turning a bit white. The pain is nearly or just as bad as when I was in treatment. I'm taking methadone, oxycodone, and motrin and it still makes me wince every time I swallow.

I will be calling the cancer center first thing in the morning.

The white makes me think its thrush. That can be very painful. Get yourself checked out today and start on some meds. Feel better!