Throat/tonsil cancer fear

[neuroticcat]

Since May or June last year I keep on getting this pain in the right side of my throat or in the tonsil(I can't really tell). Sometimes it feels like something has scratched my throat in that spot or I have a piece of food stuck in there, sometimes it just feels like that area is just dry. My ear also hurts sometimes and I think it's realated to this throat issue.I get these symptoms on and off. At first I thought I have allergies since I first got this in spring. Now I'm not so sure about that.
Also, my right tonsil seems a little bit bigger then the left one and I have a swollen lymph node on that side of the neck, I posted about it a while ago. (I got it when I had a virus, got smaller but didn't go down completely).
I went to an Urgent care doctor in December and she said that my throat looks great .
I got the throat and ear pain again yesterday and I keep on thinking it's actually throat/tonsil cancer. I am 28 and I smoked for about 2 years.
I am going to set an appointment with an ENT asap. I am so scared.

[neuroticcat]

could this symptoms be cancer? I read a lot of testimonials of people having throat cancer with the same symptoms: on and off one side throat pain and ear pain

[Fishmanpa]

Since May or June last year


could this symptoms be cancer? I read a lot of testimonials of people having throat cancer with the same symptoms: on and off one side throat pain and ear pain

Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. It doesn't come and go nor does it stop once it starts.

You'd be one sick pup or six feet under if you had cancer from last year.

Positive thoughts

[AMomentofClarity]

I had on and off one sided throat pain for 4 or 5 months once. Went to the doctor about something else, mentioned it while I was there, turns out it was an ear infection on that side. At 28, an infection is 100x more likely than cancer.

Also, smoking for 2 years is nothing in the grand scheme of life. You inhale more toxins going outside in a city.

[neuroticcat]

Thank you for your replies. I am also thinking about HPV.
I read that a lot of young people are getting throat cancer because of this.
I've read about the treatment and that made me panic. It's the radiation that scares me a lot.
I can't wait to go to an ENT.

[NancyW]

I am also thinking about HPV.
I read that a lot of young people are getting throat cancer because of this.

Is this true ???

[Fishmanpa]

Is this true ???

My cancer was due to the HPV virus. That being said it occurs predominantly in males. VERY rare in women and HPV can be tested for in women. On a positive note, HPV Head and Neck cancers respond much better to treatment as I can attest to :)

Regardless, I stand by my post. The OP does not have cancer. I'll bet my salary on it.

Positive thoughts

[AMomentofClarity]

Thank you for your replies. I am also thinking about HPV.
I read that a lot of young people are getting throat cancer because of this.
I've read about the treatment and that made me panic. It's the radiation that scares me a lot.
I can't wait to go to an ENT.

This is total hyperbolic BS. A simple search of throat cancer shows that there are 13K cases per year in the US, .4% happen in adults ages 20-34, approximately 50 cases, out of how many millions of people in that age group. Even factoring in Oral Cancer, you’re talking less than 1,000 additional people.

What you did was come across 1 or 2 articles, hyperbolize it in your mind, then apply it to yourself. That’s called catastrophizing, it’s classic health anxiety. That is what you should be focused on treating.

[neuroticcat]

What you did was come across 1 or 2 articles, hyperbolize it in your mind, then apply it to yourself. That’s called catastrophizing, it’s classic health anxiety. That is what you should be focused on treating.
That's exactly what I did. It makes a lot of sense when someone points it out to me.
Fishmanpa and AMomentofClarity, you guys are great. You just saved me $40. I was about to go to an Urgent Care as I couldn't wait until I go to an ENT.
Fishmapa, you're right. Most of the stories and testimonials I read online for the past days were of men over 50. Very few women

[Fishmanpa]

That's exactly what I did. It makes a lot of sense when someone points it out to me.
Fishmanpa and AMomentofClarity, you guys are great. You just saved me $40. I was about to go to an Urgent Care as I couldn't wait until I go to an ENT.
Fishmapa, you're right. Most of the stories and testimonials I read online for the past days were of men over 50. Very few women

:D Been there done that kiddo :winks:

FMP

[neuroticcat]

Should i be worried about the lymph node?
It never went down completely. It's just as long but it's flatter now. You can't see it anymore but it you can easily feel it if you poke around it. It feels hard and it's movable.
It's been like this since December. It didn't grow anymore but it didn't go down completely.

I have an appointment with an ENT in 2 weeks. I feel like i can't wait that long

[Fishmanpa]

Should i be worried about the lymph node?

Nope.

Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. It doesn't come and go nor does it stop once it starts.

Positive thoughts

[neuroticcat]

Yesterday I had my ENT appointment. The doctor said I have cobblestone throat, and that my throat is red. He said it's probably a viral infection. He did a throat culture just in case.
He checked my neck for lymph nodes and I showed him the one that I am concerned about which he couldn't feel. The funny part is that I couldn't really find that God damn node yesterday. He told me that he dissected necks for throat cancer patients and that there's nothing in my throat or on my neck that would make him think I might have cancer.
My ear pain is from TMJ, which i have been diagnosted with last year, after an accident.
He recommended me not to look in my throat on otherwise I will become his first patient to take her own tonsils out. ( I probably seemed THAT hypochondriac to him) . Oh... And he didn't appreciate me looking up things online.

He didn't scope my throat tho, he just looked with a flashlight..
I will set a follow up appointment in like 2 weeks or so and maybe I can ask him to do it then.

[Fishmanpa]

https://media.giphy.com/media/Wf8lxu79Yv5za/giphy.gif

From your friendly neighborhood "Told ya so gang" :D

Positive thoughts

[neuroticcat]

@Fishmanpa:D:D:D

That node still concerns me though,,, I can't feel it when i have my head straight, only when i tilt or turn my head to a side. I asked about it and explain that it was bigger the first time and second time when it popped up (actually, the second time was huge, i could see it without tilting or turning my head) and the doctor said that nodes don't always go back to their original size.

I am definitely going to ask him again on my followup visit.

[yooper906]

I just wanted to comment on this thread because it helped me so much. I hope if anyone else is worried about similar symptoms they will see this thread.

[julieta79]

I will chim in too. Because I promised to post about everything that has been driving me crazy in the last 7 months due to my HA.


Here is what I learned the other day form the head of oral cancer oncology in UCLA.


HPV cancer classically presents with a cystic mass on the neck. Most often there are no throat symptoms. The cystic lymph node is located on level 2 or 3 of the neck. Google lymph nodes level 2 or 3.

I have a lymph node in level 5, posterior. Dr didn't even find it. Didnt even care. He said HPV nodes are on VERY specific places...level 2 or 3 (that would be on the side of the neck, somewhat under the earlobe, or a little further down).



Next, the oral cancer from HPV is often very small and spreads pretty fast to lymph nodes. So even 2mm cancer would have spread to a lymph node...within few weeks.



But if it is there, and you palpate the area of lingual tonsils and regular tonsils (google what is lingual tonsil), the cancer area will be rock hard as a acorn, and will not grow above, but inside the tongue. Soft and enlarged tissue of tonsils is NOT a concern. There can be ONE sided pain in the ear, but many other reasons cause that too.



Overall, if there is no cystic mass on the neck, or hard mass in the back of the throat upon palpation, they do not suspect oral cancer.
Hope this helps!

---------- Post added at 20:30 ---------- Previous post was at 20:28 ----------

As for the node that neuroticcat is talking about, sound like mine. My node is palpated when I turn my head only, and it is very normal to have one there. This is the posterior trianlge node, and lots of adults have one there, up to 1.5 cm (so that is larger than pea). No concern. It doesn't go away with time, nor does it have to. That is not the "cancer" area

[SetYourMindFree]

I was diagnosed lymphoma that presented initially as HPV related tonsil cancer. I say HPV because I was not a smoker, dipper or drinker and it presented itself as classical HPV relation. There was only one tonsil enlarged on the left side, no visible lesion on the tonsil and only other symptom was enlarged deep cervical node. The neck surgeon was sure it was tonsil cancer. Turned out to be Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma.

Considering the tonsil is part of of the lymphatic system, that's not surprising that it presented in such a way.