Tonsil Squamous Cell Carcinoma

On 1/13/2006 Buckeye wrote:

Kandy, I know it has been a long time since you posted this, but my husband was just diagnosed three weeks ago with tonsillar cancer and I just found this board. He was in Viet Nam in 1967 and was at Chu Li. Was Agent Orange found there? Have you found very many other vets from Chu Lai that have tonsil cancer?

My message is to all who served in Vietnam and have tonsiler Squamous Cell Carcinoma.  I was diagnosed in June of 2005 and underwent surgery to remove a large mass in my left neck area.  They removed 39 lymph nodes with four being cancerous. I underwent 39 treatments of radiation and two treatments of chemotherapy.  My primary cancer was in my left tonsil. I quit smoking in 1996, but was never a heavy drinker and I haven't had a drink of anything in two years.  I was in Vietnam from July 1965 to July of 1966 and applied for VA Benefits and was initially turned down. I have reapplied and am currently waiting for a decision.  I have found information from the University of Kansas that links SCC to Agent Orange.  If the VA denies my claim a second time, I will of course hire a lawyer to submit my case.  Now the good news, I have been cancer free for over two years now; however the dry mouth caused by the radiation caused my teeth to start cracking and I had to have them extracted.  A small price to pay for still being alive and starting to finally gain some weight.  I initially lost from 188lbs to 143lbs.  Wishing all of you good luck with your claims and if I receive good news will definitely post the results.

Hang in there!!!!!

On 1/30/2005 Kandy wrote:

We are trying to find out if those of you who have/had, or know anyone who has/had tonsil cancer has served in Viet Nam during the time Agent Orange was sprayed. My husband was diagnosed in March 2004 (age 54)with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Tonsil. He served from 1969-1970 in the general area of Chu Li. He started smoking when he was in Viet Nam and rarely drank. We would like to know if there is a link between Agent Orange and this type of cancer. We would appreciate any help you could give us give us. Thanks, Kandy Please do not put us on your mailing address.

I was in Vietnam in 1970-1971. I was diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma on 4/27/05. The cancer started in my right Tonsil. It had metastasized to my other tonsil, my tongue, the soft palate on the roof of my mouth, and both lymph nodes on my neck. I was advanced stage 4. I filed a claim with the VA and was denied. I filed an appeal and had a hearing at the VA. They told me that Tonsillar cancer wasn't on the approved list of cancers for Agent Orange. I told them that everything else in the mouth is covered except the tonsils. They said that no studies had ever been done to show agent orange caused tonsil cancer. I told them that such a study would never happen because most people of my generation had their tonsils removed as children.

Jerry

On 8/22/2007 Roustabout wrote:

My message is to all who served in Vietnam and have tonsiler Squamous Cell Carcinoma.  I was diagnosed in June of 2005 and underwent surgery to remove a large mass in my left neck area.  They removed 39 lymph nodes with four being cancerous. I underwent 39 treatments of radiation and two treatments of chemotherapy.  My primary cancer was in my left tonsil. I quit smoking in 1996, but was never a heavy drinker and I haven't had a drink of anything in two years.  I was in Vietnam from July 1965 to July of 1966 and applied for VA Benefits and was initially turned down. I have reapplied and am currently waiting for a decision.  I have found information from the University of Kansas that links SCC to Agent Orange.  If the VA denies my claim a second time, I will of course hire a lawyer to submit my case.  Now the good news, I have been cancer free for over two years now; however the dry mouth caused by the radiation caused my teeth to start cracking and I had to have them extracted.  A small price to pay for still being alive and starting to finally gain some weight.  I initially lost from 188lbs to 143lbs.  Wishing all of you good luck with your claims and if I receive good news will definitely post the results.

Hang in there!!!!!

My story is very similar to yours. I was diagnoised with tonsile cancer in my left tonsile about 13 years ago. I servered in viet nam in 1970 - 71. I filed a claim with the va but was turned down. I refiled a year later submitting the info from KUMC, but they were not interested. I guess if we all had had our tonsiles removed, like most our age, we would have some other type of throat cancer and be covered. We are being penalized because the tonsiles were doing what the tonsiles were supposed to do...

I had a modified neck disection at KUMC and 7 weeks of radiation and have been cancer free since then.

I served in Vietnam.  The base and years are immaterial because the VA considers from the time Agent Orange was first sprayed in about 1965 to the end of the war as an appropriate time frame.  Also all of Vietnam was considered a sprayed area.  Like most of you I had tonsil cancer.  I wish it were covered because it like to killed me.  The VA denied it.  We made the same arguments.  If it can cause lung cancer, etc. it must go past the tonsils first.  Three medical doctors made statements to that effect.  Not a smoker or drinker for more than 3 decades.  Never heavy on either smoking or drinking though.  Tonsil cancer is a rare cancer.  Like many have stated many in our age group had them removed as kids. The American Legion has advised me to keep my appeals current.  The service officer thinks that one day tonsil cancer will be linked to Agent Orange.  In the last Agent Orange review, available at VA.gov, there is a current study on tonsil cancer.  This is the first time this has appeared in the Agent Orange review.

 According to the service officer, if you keep your appeals current and tonsil cancer is linked to Agent Orange and becomes covered, you will receive back pay to the date of the first claim.  The VA is becoming so frustrated with me that their last tome to me was 30+ pages long.  I was again denied, but plan to keep appealing. 

I also have had Tonsil Cancer, I was in VietNam 1969-70 and came down with this cancer in 2001. I did 7 weeks of radiation twice a day and had an expermintal chemo once a week for 7 weeks. I did as most on here have I filed with the VA and was tuned down. I do know that it is being studied and data is being collected. I would like all who have posted here to send a short email to the lady below explaining your cancer. She is the one putting all the data togather.

Mary Burr Paxton, PhD, DABT
Senior Program Officer
Population Health and Public Health Practice
Institute of Medicine
Keck 871, 500 Fifth St., NW
Washington, DC  20001
(202) 334-1731
fax: (202) 334-2939

email: Paxton, Mary
  MPaxton@nas.edu

Wishing you all sucess.

Sgt D 

On 1/30/2005 Kandy wrote:

We are trying to find out if those of you who have/had, or know anyone who has/had tonsil cancer has served in Viet Nam during the time Agent Orange was sprayed. My husband was diagnosed in March 2004 (age 54)with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Tonsil. He served from 1969-1970 in the general area of Chu Li. He started smoking when he was in Viet Nam and rarely drank. We would like to know if there is a link between Agent Orange and this type of cancer. We would appreciate any help you could give us give us. Thanks, Kandy Please do not put us on your mailing address.

I’m an ex  National Service man 1972 intake Austrian army there have been studys done see the site address at http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_1_3x_Agent_Ora

I know a few people with this that get good results from drinking one half tea spoon of BI-Cab soda in a half glass of water three times a day I tryed to debunk this seveal time but people keep tell ing me it helps dont know why take care God bless Ray

On 9/13/2008 SgtD6970 wrote:

I also have had Tonsil Cancer, I was in VietNam 1969-70 and came
down with this cancer in 2001. I did 7 weeks of radiation twice a day
and had an expermintal chemo once a week for 7 weeks. I did as most on
here have I filed with the VA and was tuned down. I do know that it is
being studied and data is being collected. I would like all who have
posted here to send a short email to the lady below explaining your
cancer. She is the one putting all the data togather.

 

Mary Burr Paxton, PhD, DABT
Senior Program Officer
Population Health and Public Health Practice
Institute of Medicine
Keck 871, 500 Fifth St., NW
Washington, DC  20001
(202) 334-1731
fax: (202) 334-2939

email: Paxton, Mary
  MPaxton@nas.edu

Wishing you all sucess.

Sgt D 

 

 

Sgt. D, and others.

A
friend of mine is a pharmacist.  She was born in Vietnam.  On
a recent trip to Calif. I told her about my tonsil cancer.  I had
the standard treatment.  Six weeks of radiation, 3 chemo
treatments during the same time frame as my radiation, followed by
radical neck surgery.  I have dry mouth and my teeth have been
breaking off due to lack of good blood flow to the roots of my
teeth.  No dentist or doctor has done anything more than write me
a presciption for either salagen or evoxac.  These pills at least
make life livable.  However, she is convinced that doctors are
just treating the symptoms and not the problem.  She gave me a
bottle of Parotid PMG.

I had no hopes that it would
help at all.  My family and I returned from Calif. on Aug.
11.  On my last email to her, I told her I was cautiously
optomistic.  I honestly believe it is helping.  I think my
saliva is actually better than since before my cancer.  My cancer
treatment was in 2004.  I have had dry mouth ever since.  I
don't remember what a normal amount of saliva feels like.  Also I
am not saying that it has returned to normal.  All I am saying is
that I an pretty well convinced that it is helping me.  

I
have no financial interest in the manufacturer of this product. 
My only motive here is to offer some possible hope to those who have
been suffering the same post treatment ills that I have had.

 If
anyone reads this post and tries it, please report whether there have
been any good or ills effects from it.  Remember I have been
taking it for about 5 weeks now.  The bottle I received was a gift
so I don't know the price.  I don't believe you will find it in a
health food store.  The box says 'sold by heathcare
professionals'  My friend indicated that I could probably find it
in a drugstore, but probably would have to ask as it would be behind
the counter. 

Wishing the best for all. 
We go to hell in southeast Asia then return to fight the private hell
of cancer brought on by our service there.  Meanwhile all the
draft dodgers are now in congress.  Not too bitter.

dec