Wow! Thanks so much for the supportive responses. It says a lot about the people on this site that you all have taken the time to offer advice and support despite the hard road you have been and are still traveling.

In answer to the questions, the ENT suggested possible cancer of the tonsils based on the asymmetry of the tonsils, the enlarged lymph nodes on the same side as the larger tonsil and the smoking history. He says that the lymph nodes are too small and soft to do a needle biopsy. The radiologists report came back on the CT scan today, and it said the lymph nodes we were concerned about on the right side (the one with the larger tonsil) are borderline suspicious in terms of size.

The ENT is not at a major cancer center, and if I am diagnosed with cancer I will probably look elsewhere for two reasons. First, I am in Birmingham, AL and UAB is generally the best hospital here for cancer, although I do not know about their experience/expertise for this kind of cancer. Second, what my current ENT said about treatment if this is cancer is not consistent with what I am reading on this site and elsewhere as the most up to date approach. So, I am basically just sticking with this ENT for diagnosis purposes. I guess I am just wondering if the tonsilectomy is the correct way to make the diagnosis. It is scheduled for Monday, so I need to make a quick decision. I think the ENT thinks it is best because of the obvious difference in the tonsils, although he does not see any lesions and nothing peculiar about the tonsil in question(except possible size difference) showed up on the CT scan. My impression is that he views the tonsilectomy as being rather routine, so if it is not cancer, no harm no foul. It sounds like the recovery is a bit of a drag, though nothing like what will follow if it is cancer. I am so confused by all this and just want to make sure I am getting started in the right direction in the event that this is cancer.

Again, thanks so much to each of you for taking the time to respond.

Jenn