I tried to put this all behind me, but i still have symptoms. My symptoms are that i feel somthing in my throat and I have a sore throat feeling that seems to come and go. This has been going on for about 21/2 months now. I am down to one local ENT that seems to be very good. Basically he told me that my left lingual tonsil is enlarged. But that he does not see anything that is of major concern to him. I have had three other ENT's scope me and all said they do not see anything that is of major concern. Basically that they do not see a growth or spot or anything to that extent yet. Also, my ct scan of my neck was normal. I am supposed to get a Barium Swallow today to check for Reflux. I have not had a biopsy yet and I am still pondering if I should go that far or not?

All I can say is I wish that all my visits to the ENT, CT scans etc would be "nothing there"

Literally, I would go outside and kiss the sky and breathe in the incredible relief!

For the record, when I got diagnosed with cancer, I had no sore throat, no feeling that there was something there. The only indicator that there was cancer was swollen lymph nodes on my neck.

Truthfully, if I had seen three ENT's and they found nada, zip, nothing, I would be sleeping the sleep of babes.

Count yourself as lucky.

Jen

" He`s Baaaaack "

Dino,

It seems that you'll never be happy unless you get cancer.

Jerry

"All I can say is I wish that all my visits to the ENT, CT scans etc would be "nothing there"

Literally, I would go outside and kiss the sky and breathe in the incredible relief!

For the record, when I got diagnosed with cancer, I had no sore throat, no feeling that there was something there. The only indicator that there was cancer was swollen lymph nodes on my neck.

Truthfully, if I had seen three ENT's and they found nada, zip, nothing, I would be sleeping the sleep of babes.

Count yourself as lucky.

Jen"

I tell you what, as much as it pains me to hear you have to endure this struggle, it sure doesnt put any comfort in me to hear you felt nothing at your time of dx. I go in tomorrow and Ive had everything from hoarseness in my voice on occasion, to occasional soreness in my throat, both my tonsils have been enlarged for over a year, tightness in my neck and a reddish area on my right tonsillar pillar.... yep thats right ladies and gentlemen... common site of presentment... Sigh. Waiting for tomorrow is torture. Theres nothing like thinking that at this time tomorrow my life might well be very different.

Dino if you have gone to all those ENTs then you probably do not need a biopsy. Acid reflux can cause swelling in the throat and many other symptoms including chest pain simular to a heart attack.

When I went to my ENT I was short of breath. I was hoarse but I have been hoarse for ten years after I had some throat surgery in 1994. I never had a sore throat or any other symptoms.

May you find peace,
Barbara~

This is coming from a caregiver who recently lost her mom, due to a misdiagnosis. Get the biopsy or you will never find peace! If u dont get it done then dont come here looking for our sympathy. This disease sucks, u dont want it, Yes there are misdiagnosis, my mom had been seen by her ent since 1993 for scc. First line of treatment was surgery. Several years later she was given the speech of your cancer free. If u havent had a reaccurance by now your cured. She was so happy that day. Only to be diagnosed with stage IV a couple years later. While continued to be seen by her same ent. Get The Biopsy, and then live your life!

While I know there are LOTS of things I don't understand, I'm not afraid to ask a dumb question. If tonsils are causing a problem, why not have them removed and then see what happens? Is this too simplistic ?

I had a barium swallow test on tuesday.....Im not sure what this test is for? I think it is a test for acid reflux? But does this test also show any abnormalities?

I guess im so fixated on this because of my past history of smokeing. I just dont know what else it could be at this point and none of these doctors really have given me a difinitive diagnoses. What I do know is that it has been about 2-1/2 months that I have had my left tonsil enlarged and soar throat pain. Yes...my CT scan did show nothing and I realize that is a good thing. But, from what i read these scans are only as good as the person reading them.

What I dont know is if my tonsil is enlarged...if it was due to cancer...what does that mean? Does it mean there is a tumor there that is enlarging it? Would there be a growth or mass inside the tonsil? Or is it just cancer cells that are irritating it and it is becoming enlarged? Does anyone have any specifics on any of these questions?

Barb is right, acid reflux can cause many of the symptoms you are having. Given your nervousness about all this, it would not surprise me that you have developed these kinds of problems. Surgical removal of something just to eliminate it as a suspect just isn't done. I wouldn't have some part of me, significant or otherwise, removed and go through a surgical procedure which isn't as easy in adults as it is in kinds, without knowing for sure there was a need to. Tonsils become enlarged all the time from regional infections etc. That is not a good indicator of something dangerous by itself. You have now had a lot of tests that have come out negative. Oral cancer right now, even giving your tobacco history, isn't falling into what they are finding. Perhaps your reflux issue will finally put this to rest. I forget from all your posts but I thought I read that you had blood work done in the past which showed no infectious process or elevated white counts that might indicate it. Differential diagnosis is a process of elimination many times, and your moving on to a gastro specialist may be a good thing as it seems that your doctors have eliminated oral cancer.

Hey Dino,

I have read MANY of your posts and have yet to reply. I am no expert, but I am a patient who has done much research, and I also work in healthcare. I am glad that you have tried to put this behind you. I see you are considering a biopsy. If I am not mistaken, it seems you said you've had biopsies in the past...all negative. You have been seen by many specialists, none of whom suspect cancer. You state that the main reason for your concern is because you smoked. Genearally (not always), smoking leads to cancer in the 6th or 7th decade of life, if I recall, you are much younger than that. I am very glad to hear that you quit. Many (not all) are preceeded by a precancerous lesions that can be detected by a thorough oral examination. It sounds like you have had plenty of those. Granted, there are some cases that remain asymptomatic until later stages, you do not seem to be at any great risk. My cancer (a Stage II) was very obvious. I had a 2 cm lesion (sore), that felt somewhat like a burn/blister on the lingual surface of my lower gum (beneath my molar. It was there for a while before it was dx'd as cancer. I was truly blessed that I was only a Stage II. As many people have stated, many, many things can cause a swollen tonsil. It does not sound like cancer is a concern in your case. I have had several biopsies, and, I don't know about you, I don't enjoy getting my mouth cut up...AT ALL! However, if this will give you peace of mind...please have the biopsy, move on and enjoy your life. Useless worry gets us nowhere, and could cause us to feel symptoms when there is nothing wrong. Best of luck to you, and hopefully you will be able to put this to rest in the near future for your sanity's sake.

Take care!

Dino, I am waiting to go to hospital to have a biopsy because my dentist found something that he thought might be cancer and sent me to an oral surgeon who thinks it needs a biopsy. I feel fine, fit as a fiddle, can't even see the thing that they are worried about myself. I was a sufferer of tonsillitis during my teens though and that was a different story. I was chronically ill. Of course it is important to consult a doctor or dentist if you are concerned about something, and to follow up on any treatment or procedures that they recommend .... but as people keep saying, there are many, many causes for these symptoms that are not cancer. I will pray that neither you nor I do have it. I am truly inspired by the people on this forum, but I do not want to have cancer myself.

I received the results from my Barium Swallow test. Im more confused know then before. It says they compared this test on 6/28/05 to the prior ct scan on 5/5/05. The Impression reads. 1.) Moderate gastroesphageal reflux. 2. Possible slight enlargement of the palatine tonsils. 3. Otherwise unremarkable exam of the hypopharynx and esophagus.

Prior to this test the ENT said that my left lingual tonsil was enlarged and know this report says my palitine tonsils are slightly enlarged. This is the first that I heard of this. The ENT said he thinks this is from reflux and told me to see a GI doctor. I asked him if a biopsy would be in line to rule out cancer. He said that he did not see anything to biopsy.

Are the enlarged tonsils reason enough for me to have a biopsy? Given my past history of smoking and drinking.

What or where would you like them to biopsy? A biopsy is a specific removal of suspect tissue from a specific area. It is usually VERY small in sample size, sometimes only a few cells. The odds that if they took a random piece of your tonsile that they woud even get something (assuming it was there in the first place) is very small. I sent you a private email not long ago explaining the issue of enlarged tonsiles and lymph tissues as a normal function of the body dealing with common infections and irritations. It is likely time to let this idea of biopsy go and follow the recommendations of the doctors that you are seeing.

Dino, I know how frustrating it can be to see multiple health care professionals, especially if they are dismissing your very real fears.

This being said, I went to 4 GP's in my local neighborhood who all dismissed me.

Finally I saw a big city ENT who was a totally different type of medcine.

ENT's are trained to spot cancers in the earliest stages...

I've seen 7 of them in the last 30 days.

They are all professional, honest and if anything, error on the side of caution.

If you seen one or more ENT's I would rest assured that if something was wrong they'd have found it.

You know the way my first ENT found the primary was be FEELING the tonsil. Not CT's, etc. Touching it.

Did yours do this kind of physical exam too?

You know we really are our own worst enemy sometimes. You need to relax and not assume the worst...

Be well...Michael

I went to a head and neck cancer specialist at Memorial Sloan Kettering in NYC.

His report states he did do a physical exam.

The part of this report reads -

Examination of the oropharynx reveals tonsilliths more prominent in the left tonsil. This was cleared. No other lesions are identified in the tonsil or base of tongue region by visualization and palpation.

Im not to sure what all that means?

I think it means you do not have Oral Cancer. Clearly, you are not seeing the appropriate health care provider! This entire posting has become an insult to everyone here that has fought to survive this cancer. You should be ashamed of yourself at this point.

Glenn
New York

Well said, Glenn. People here have demonstrated compassion and patience. Time to find another place to get attention, Dino. You have a life. Live it and be well.

Amen and Amen. Amy

Dino,

Tonsililiths are accumulations of bacteria and tissue that collect in the crypts of your tonsils. If they get large enough, you can feel them rubbing on the back of your throat or on the back of your tongue. They can irritate your tonsil, make it become enlarged, give you a sore throat, bad breath and a terrible taste in your mouth. There is no treatment for them except to remove the tonsiliths when they occur, which usually happens when you sneeze, or cough. I have been dealing with tonsiliths long before I got oral cancer and ever since I was diagnosed. One has nothing to do with the other but I believe that many of your symptoms can be explained by the presence of tonsiliths. They are a real pain the the neck (or tonsil) but they are not cancer nor do they cause cancer. You may be able to see them poking out of your tonsil the next time your symptoms flare up. They are white/yellow chunky balls. They can be big or small but at any size they are gross. I hope this information helps you relax.

Barb

I have an enlarged left lingual tonsil. The ENT told me it is rubbling on my hypopharynx and that this is what is causing me to feel this sensation of something there. It seems to be getting worse than better. I have more of a stinging pain and not really a sore type throat pain. The feeling of something there seems to be more profound.

I put my finger down my throat to feel were the pain is located and it is not actually on my tonsil as far as i can tell but rather on the wall of my throat. I think this is from the rubbing of the tonsil against it as im always moving my tounge back and forth to feel it.

He said that I could not see the lingual tonsil and it is very rare for this tonsil to be infected.

I was not totally honest with him about the amount i smoked in the past as i am very embaressed about it.

I dont know if all these ENT'S would have just brushed it off as acid relux or allergies if they had known this.

I have had this going on know for three months.

I have been taking acid reflux meds and antibotics and nothing is working.

I have read that a ct scan and barium swallow will not always show anything with tonsil cancer. That removal of the tonsil for biopsy is the only way to tell for sure.

I do not want to have my tonsil removed and do not look forward to this at all.

I have not taken this up with my ENT yet as I have been trying to calm down about all this for ahwile and take everyones advice.

I apologize for being so crazy about all this, but I am very concerned.

Dino
Get the Docs to remove your tonsil. easy I had it done when I was a kid.
Then stop poking about and get your life back. Everyone is telling you YOU DONOT HAVE ORAL CANCER... Listen to them
Helen

You dont have cancer. Plain and simple.

If you were in my shoes I might feel differently for you but right now your chasing after something that isnt there.

I have persistent occasional hoarseness to my voice, a fun reddish area (yea warning sign) on my tonsillar pillar that isnt going away, enlarged tonsils, occasional sore throat if I talk for long periods of time, pain in the right side of my neck all the way down to my chest, ear discomfort and lots of ringing in the right ear etc.

I went to one ENT who is supposedly the best in my area, he poked around and didnt find anything, even after going in my throat with the Otolaryngoscope and looking at the red spot. I am going to have this spot Biopsied now for my sanity's sake but you dont even have any OBVIOUS signs. Its time to put this behind you once and for all. If a growth or redness appears, then you can get back to doing whatever you need to.