Hi, Meg - - great topic for a school paper, especially if the class gets to read it!

My husband's tonsil cancer presented itself in the manner of what appeared to be swollen lymph glands. The primary site (right tonsil) did not show any visible signs of disease, but the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes - visibly on the right, and later, they were found on the left side nodes as well.
Our GP prescribed strong antibiotics for 3 days, and when the swelling did not respond to that treatment, my husband was sent for chest x-rays and biopsy.
Chemo and radiation treatments finished; surgery set for next month.
Good luck on your report.
Nicki

Meg,
One of the problems with oral cancer is that it is one of the "hidden cancers". I was a non-smoker and rare drinker, who, for a long time had a dry, scratchy sort of hoarse throat. If a guy down the hall in my office lit up a cigarette, I was very sensitive to it. My doctor friends all figured that since I was an active, healthy guy, it was just allergies. I began having some gum pain but the dental people thought that is was a periodontal problem, and when a periodontal procedure did not work, I was sent to an endodontist who opened up and old root canal, only to find that it was still in good shape.

It was not until, months later, when food that I swallowed hit something and came back up, that I finally went to an ENT, who ordered a barium swallow with a radiologist, and later stuck the scope down my nose to reveal a large tumor on the base of my tongue that had also spread to neck nodes, diagnosed as Stage IV.

I don't know how anyone could have found it sooner unless a doctor or dentist with trained and sensitive hands could have felt the swollen lymph nodes. I asked the periodontist and a doctor friend of mine to look down my throat, but I gagged so easily that they could not see anything. Naturally if I knew then what I know now, I would have been to see an ENT much earlier.

Take care,
Danny G.

Hi Meg,
One of the problems with oral cancer is that it often shows no symptoms until is already in the later stages.

I have had two different occurrences of oral cancer and both were preceded a change in voice about 3 months prior to a second symptom. The second symptom, the first time, was a lump in the neck near the submandibular saliva gland. The dr did a needle biospy and put me on antibiotics for 2 weeks to see whether it went away. Biopsy came back negative, but check up two weeks later revealed a new lymph node that that was also swollen. This was surgically removed 2 days later and came back SCC.

The second time the only symptom I had other than voice change was an occasional minor pain in the throat. Then one day I swallowed a large vitamim pill and it hurt bad. I knew that this had to be checked immediately and found out I now had a small tumor growing on my larynx.

The thing to remember with this disease is that early detection is the key to survival. And to have it detected properly, you should really be examined by a specialist who regularly deals with SCC cancers, preferably at one of the major national cancer centers. Too many people have succumbed to this disease because the doctors they saw were unable to recognize the symptoms and order the proper tests.

Good luck on your paper and thank you for helping to inform your fellow students about this disease.

Take care,
Eileen

Hi Meg, my cancer was similar to Nicki's husband Tom's cancer. I was shaving one morning and as I was checking to see how close I was shaving and whether or not I was getting all of the beard, I felt a lump in my neck. This is the type of thing I usually ignore and hope it goes away. This time, I had my normal yearly physical in 2 weeks, so I kept it in mind and asked my General Practitioner about it. He immediately sent me to an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor. This doctor had just graduated from the University of Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital, comprehensive cancer center. He told me he thought it was SCC and took a needle biopsy. It came back inconclusive so he took another and sent me for a CT scan. Both came back inconclusive so he took another and sent me for a PET scan. Both came back inconclusive again so he sent me for a sonigram directed needle biopsy. Bingo, it came back SCC. This all took months. From late August to early November. I was then scheduled for a tonsilectomy because the doctor couldn't find the primary site. They found it in the right tonsil and were able to identify it as stage IV with metastasis to the right side lymph node. I was treated with 7 weeks of radiation, 5 days per week, along with cisplatin chemotherapy every 21 days during radiation. After those treatments ended, I waited 6 weeks for the treatments to calm down, then had a modified radical right side neck dissection. The biopsy of the 35 lymph nodes removed from the 5 sections in my right neck was that all of the cancer cells were destroyed by the rad/chemo treatments. The Lord blessed me and my cancer was killed by the treatments. Needless to say, after 45 years, I quit smoking and drinking. I am now searching for some kind of bad habit to develop as I am feeling entirely to pristine. Hope this helps you with your paper.

Hi Meg,
I am one of those who had NO initial symptoms until the day, like Kirk, that I was shaving and noticed the lump (first saw, then felt) in right side of my neck. Usually the type to ignore these types of things, this time I KNEW that I had to have it looked at immediately. The first two quacks that I went to thought that I had mononucleosis and gave me the test for it, even though I told them that at 47 years of age and not having been in the position to have contracted mono, that I wanted to be checked out by an ENT. The third Dr. DID send me to an ENT, the next day. I was given a needle biopsy and was diagnosed the next week with SCC, undetermined primary, metastasis to right neck lymph nodes. CAT scan the next day showed slightly enlarged right tonsil. One week later, Jan. 23, 1987, I was in surgery for right side tonsilectomy (biopsy confirmed SCC in tonsil) and modified radical neck dissectomy on right side. Of the 81 lymph nodes removed, cancer was present in only 2. I then received the 7 week radiation treatment (35 treatments 5 days per week) to both sides of my neck.
Thanks for helping educate

Hi Meg
I had tonsol cancer in my right tonsil T2( 2x3cm) and no metastsas visible to any nodes. I had dull ear ache and my throat felt scratchy when I swallowed food. I thought I had a ear infection and went to my doctor. He say my tonsil was enlarged and bleeding. He sent me to and ENT who felt a lump in it and took a biopsy which came back malignant. I then went to two cancer hospitals and got two opinions on the diagnossis and treatment. Luckily they both said the same thing which was to have radiation only to my troat and neck. That was 6 weeks, 5 days a week of IMRT radiation which can pin point what level and where the radiation went. The radiation killed the cancer in my tonsil and as a precaution killed any in my neck nodes. The side effects were reduced saliva, some altered taste and risk of increased tooth decay from the reduced saliva. Other than than I am completely healed and operating like nothing happend, thank God!

Hi Meg-
I had a sore throat for a couple of weeks, then devloped a swollen gland on the left side of my neck. I was talked in to going to my family doctor. Since I did not smoke, female age 50 and only occasionally had a glass of wine I did not fit the "profile" of oral cancer and was treated for two weeks with antibiotics until I could see an ENT. I had had my tonsils removed in 8th grade and one had grown back. It looked suspicious so the ENT removed it. He did not biopsy or do base line tests as he did not think it was cancer. But it was SCC. Then I ran to a major cancer center for the rest of my treatment - neck dissection, chemo and radiation. Stage I/V. There are a lot of people on this web site that did not fit the "profile." Early detection is so important. - Kris

Hi Meg,
Must make a correction to my post from earlier this morning. Surgery date was Jan 23, 1997, not 1987. First post and didn't even proof it.

trvlnjak

Meg,

I had an abnormal spot on the left side of my tongue that gradually got larger and eventually became painful. Over the course of a couple of years and numerous office visits, I was told by three different doctors (dentist, GP, oral pathologist) that it was nothing to be concerned about because I had never smoked. I finally found an oral surgeon who recognized the symptoms, performed a biopsy and referred me to an oncology team that concluded I needed both surgery and radiation. The surgery involved removing a portion of the left side of my tongue, along with many lymph nodes in the neck. Radiation consisted of about 7 weeks of external beam treatment followed by a radiation implant in my tongue for about 30 hours. Long-term effects have included some impact on my speech, and dry mouth (from radiation) that can cause difficulty eating and swallowing from time to time and requires frequent dental checkups.

Cathy