Squamous Cell Carcinoma Of The Tonsil

Hello, my husband has been diagnosed with tonsil cancer last month. He started chemo and Radiation treatments last week. He faces radiation treatments everyday, Monday through Friday for 7 weeks and chemo treatments every 3 weeks, for 2 or 3 treatments. He has a feeding tube in place even though we are not using it right now. They say he will likely have to go through a radical neck surgery after the treatments to remove anything left behind. My question is: how many people know someone who survived this and what to expect. Why does this hit mostly men. Thanks any information would be great. Good or bad.

Hello my name is Nigel I am 41 from the UK, and in May 2005 was diagnoised with a T1 tumour on my left tonsil, and with an infected lymph gland N2/3. I had the tonsil removed through biopsy and the next week 32 lymph nodes removed with only one node infected.

6 weeks later I had 33 fractions of radiotheraphy and 2 doses of cisplatin, chemotheraphy. I finished treatment 4 weeks ago and recovering well, having up and down days.

I went through a range of issues including 2 enlongated hospital stays due to me not having a PEG tube and not eating or drinking for 7 days.

I now on the recovery road but its is not easy, the emotions, eating is easier everyday and drinking is fine so is the pain control. There are some downsides like the radiotheraphy has caused lesions in my mouth which are slow to heal, mouth thrush, post nasal drip and coughing up blood and chest infections. Most of which disappear after treatment finishes.

In fact I lost my pain control only 7 days ago and feel fine, painkillers are if I need them and morphine solution is the answer, but I am lucky I do not need them now, despite my throat being very tender inside. Externally my radiation sunburn is reducing, however I always say to people look what it does on the outside what do you think it does on the inside!

I have started to exercise now this week quite gently, wwalking and cycling, with a view to returning to work part time in 21 days, that will be 50 days after RT finished and I feel I will be ready.

There have been days in the last 2 months when the radiotheraphy has made me unable to speak, writing down things for nurses, but now I have my twinkle in my eye, my sense of humour and 90% of my speech back, apart from the lesions on my tounge.

I have become an expert in juicing, home made soups, high calorie and protein diet after losing 10kgs, but now my weight is stable and I am happy with it I have dispensed with the scales as one less thing to worry about these days.

As for survial do not get hung up on statistics, in fact if caught early enough the long term life survival rates are good.

Please feel free to email me I can tell you where to find most information these days.

Take care

Keep attacking Nigel

Thanks for responding. Juicing would be a good thing to know. Unfortunitly this site is new to me and I don't know how to email you. But Mine is --- Message edited by CancerCompass staff: for personal protection, email address removed. Please review CancerCompass Member Guidelines at http://www.cancercompass.com/common/guidelines.html ---. I would appreciate any information you could give me.

Hello Nigel,

I have been reading and learning a lot about this cancer and it's affects. Everyone here has been quite helpful. My husband developed a lump on his left side of his neck about two years ago, but because of no insurance he did not follow through with care. Once we obtained insurance we went to the doctor and through deduction found out that he has stage 3 cancer of his left tonsil. He had the mass removed recently and that is how we found out. He now is due for a modified left neck dissection with tonsilectomy to be followed by at this point only radiation therapy. I am sure that we will find out more after we meet with his oncologist after surgery to find out if this is going to change and chemo will be added. Everyone here has shed some light into what the future may hold and this is what will keep us positive. Knowing what we will face is half the battle, not knowing is what makes us have fear and hesitation. Knowledge truly is power.
Thank You,
Susan

My wife was diagnosed with tonsil cancer in February of this year... just a few days after her 40th birthday. It initially felt like we had been kicked out of an airplane without a parachute, because we were so scared. She sought treatment at MD Anderson in Houston, and had to live down there for 7 weeks of radiation treatment. She was very sick for a few weeks after her treatment stopped, but she feels GREAT now.

Hi Nigel, interesting letter thanks and good luck with a speedy recovery. I have T1 N2c M0
Left tonsil gone 7hours on the table removing Lymph nodes [and god knows what] on left and right sides of neck.Makeing a great recovery on that.
Should know about treatment next week. I really dont want to do a PEG. My Brithish Oncologist recomends and my NZ [where I am having teatment] is against. Nasogastric tube being the option.I have 20 kgs that I have been trying to shift for a few years, If I loose more than 25kgs I would be under weight. I am posative, determined, and whilst I have no idea what lies ahead I think I can do it without a PEG. My NZ consultant says he can put in a PEG or nasogastric tube at any time during treatment. My NLP hypnotherapist feels that I can do it with out a PEG.
What are your views?
Thanks
Chris

Hi there:
My husband just finished 8 weeks of horrible tonsil cancer treatment.  Saw your post on this site from three years ago.  How is your husband now?  Did he have to have the surgery?
MM