Help! New Here...

Hello, I am new to these boards and I have a couple of questions about throat cancer. My husband is 35 yrs. old--smokes occasionally and drinks occasionally. For the past 3-4 mos. he's had a lump in the right side of his neck, like a swollen gland. Now, about a week ago his throat was very swollen and sore. We thought it was strep but that came back negative. He was put on amoxicillin and prednisone. He has finished the prednisone and is still finishing the amoxicillin. His sore/swollen throat started to go away for about 3 days and now it's back. He also is worn down and has pain in his right ear and sinuses....could these be symptoms of throat cancer? He went to a ENT doctor and was sent for a CT scan, but we haven't heard any results...would we get a call if they found something on the scan? Or would they wait until his next appt?? Thank you for your help.

Hi Michelle,

Sorry to hear of your husband's problems. It does sound suspicious. Does he still have his tonsils? Throat cancer is a very broad thing. It encompasses a whole lot of different conditions depending upon the location and type. The most common, and the type most folks here have (or have had) is squamous cell carcinoma. The main causes are smoking and drinking although you can get it other ways also (HPV for one). If your ENT isn't calling you with results for the CT you should bug them every day until you find out what's up. Hopefully it isn't anything to worry about but you have to know one way or the other.

Good luck!

Joe 

This nonsense from the dr's when they say "we'll call you if it is anything to worry about" is for the birds. You get on the phone right away and keep calling until you get the results, and I don't mean hearing over the phone that all is ok. Get an actually copy of the dictation from the radioligist. I've seen to many "infected swollen glands" turn out to be cancer and the sooner it is caught the better. I am glad to hear they were proactive in getting the catscan done quickly, that should tell. If it comes back negative (lets hope) yet it does not respond to meds. Get the slides and have them re-read elsewhere. This is nothing to mess around with, especially since he is a smoker (which he needs to stop, especially now).

Good luck

Rick

I agree with all my fellow sufferer colleagues, and would add the imperative to get a biopsy of the mass. My ENT's suspicians were totally confirmed by the biopsy.

I am asking you to see a doctor now.  My primary doctor, allergy doctor, ENT doctor put me on Amoxicilin and prednisone for so long thinking its something different. if it is not for God sake believe you me the turmor should have spread all over my body.

head and neck cancer is very difficult to treat. I think the best doctors are in stanford hospital University) in California. ask for doctor Micheal Kaplan. he is one of the best doctors in the whole USA. the reason why I said so it's because,he is not a 5min. doctor. he can seat with you, make sure you've understood him well, communicate with you through emails, etc. the man is just too great. I will recommend him.