Hello everyone. I too am new to this site and am very grateful for having found it! I have been searching the internet for the past few months for any info I could find on tonsilar cancer since I have had undiagnosed symptoms for the past 10 months that are similar to the symptoms of tonsilar cancer. It has been very scary and extremely frustrating to say the least!

I am a non-smoker with history of chronic alcohol abuse (have been sober for 22 months now) and extreme gastric reflux ( 3cm hiatal hernia and have been on omeprazole for 5 years) I also still have my tonsils.

It all started with a sore throat and chronic, dry night time cough 10 months ago that never went away. The cough progressively worsened and has interrupted my sleep every night for the past 6 months. I have also had the feeling of a "hairball" in the back of my throat.

Have been seen by my PCP numerous times, 3 rounds of antibiotics, a thyroid scan (negative), a CAT scan of my neck which showed submillimeter enlarged cervical nodes, otherwise unremarkeable.

Still coughing with sore throat, had to push PCP to refer me to ENT. Went to ENT who felt it could be my reflux and also prescribed a nasal spray??? Returned in 6 weeks for a follow up visit, no better, still with cough and feeling of something in my throat, constant sore throat. He looked in my throat with a flexible tube and felt he didn't see anything. I told him I felt as though I had the symptoms of tonsillar cancer and he asked me "are you afraid of having cancer"????? Really? I couldn't even believe he asked me that!

So, he ordered a sleep study and more nasal spray! By now I am getting very frustrated and took matters into my own hands~ consulted a general surgeon who had treated me in the past.
He ordered an ultrasound of my neck which showed a 1.5cm and a 1.3 cm enlarged lymph node in my neck. Unfortunately, he said because of their location to the carotid artery and jugular vein he would not recommend biopsy.

So, I am now headed to Case University in Cleveland ( Dr. Pierre Lavertu ENT Oncologist) for a 3rd opinion as my symptoms have progressed. I now have numbness and pain on the left side of my face and jaw, ear pain,ringing in my ear, a painful area on the left underside of my tongue as well as an enlarged left tonsil. It is twice the size of the right tonsil. I also have pain in upper and lower back molar areas. My sore throat pain has also gotten worse. The whole left side of my neck, all the way around to the base of my skull is tender as well.

I am truly hoping this could all be due to something other than what I originally thought, but I am so frustrated by the fact that there are still physicians out there who do not listen to their patients symptoms and concerns.

Thank you all for allowing me to post such a long message~ any responses would be greatly appreciated. My appointment is this Tuesday (Election Day!) and I am hoping to get somewhere after all this time. Have a good weekend!