HPV Tonsil Cancer at 24

Hello worried24

Yes of course you are very welcome here and let's hope your concerns are nothing to worry about.  It's encouraging that the Doctors don't seem to think there is anything to be alarmed about so far, and hopefully the ultrasound in August will put your mind at rest.   

Unfortunately I don't know about your symptoms as mine were completely different.  Hopefully someone will come along later who can comment further on that for you, or you might like to ring the Macmillan helpline on Monday and speak to someone there.  

Take care and let us all know how you get on. xx

Hello , try not to worry as the doctors and dentist seem pretty happy that there is nothing sinister , if  they were worried they would have reacted differently . The ultrasound scan will at least paint a clearer picture so if something is amiss they will take action ., maybe you have googled a lot of your symptoms and they have linked them to a POSSIBILITY of cancer this is why i try not to do this and leave it to the consultant . So fingers crossed for the ultrasound ,take care .

                                                                                                  Chris x

Hi Worried24,

Fully understand your concerns & worries. Hopefully my words will resonate & help alleviate some of your fears.

Firstly, I was diagnosed with tonsil & base of the tongue cancer (HPV) too so hopefully I can be a resource for you & please get in touch as often as you need as personally totally get your initial fears & worries, having trodden the same path. Like you I suffered allergies such as hay fever quite badly. 

There is a lot of inaccurate info on the web regarding cancer & HPV as we (Wife & I, found out when I was diagnosed). It is a myth that it is only contracted through 'being reckless'. There has been a monk who contracted cancer HPV type, so don't beat yourself up. It is true that HPV resided within the body & in normal circumstances is kept it at bay. The time the problem starts is when the body's immune system is challenged (cold, fever, virus etc.) & that is when it can all kick off. The good news is that in many cases HPV forms of cancer respond extremely well to treatments, so take heart that if the very worst happens, the outcome can be a positive one and not the sentence most of us initially fear. 

Simply from a point of your being able to make a comparison this was the chronological sequence in my diagnosis. Now I'm not saying this will be your outcome & I'm no medical professional, but simply this is my journey.

Let's set the scene first. I was working away from home as a business improvement consultant, working silly hours (05:30 - 22:00 daily) with a weekly commute between Southampton & Darby. I already was off colour but continued to work through it so I was being silly & as usual, like most men, thought I could simply power through it with an intensified course of vitamin C.

During one week I thought ‎Tonsillitis had flared up, as it did so often as a child. I continued to work & it obviously got worse. A visit to the Doc resulted in a course of penicillin antibiotics which didn't work. I worked the following week & then returned to the Doc. Further tests were requested to be performed over the coming weeks & some time later after several tests that failed to be conclusive (fluid drain etc.) I was referred to the maxillofacial unit where they confirmed I had cancer of the tonsil & base of the throat.

In late Sep 2012 the diagnosis was confirmed. By the end of Oct I had stopped work to have an operation to remove affected lymph nodes. In late Nov chemo & radiotherapy commenced & completed in Jan 2013.

Roll forward to today & I am now 4+ years (Apr 2017) cancer free & heading to the magical 5 years with a very positive attitude & extremely thankful to Macmillan & the oncology & multi-disciplinary team at the Southampton Uni hospital.

So, hopefully, this will allow you to relax a little if you can, allow the process of diagnosis to run it's course & then take it from there. Should you need any further help & we are able, do come back & feel free to ask as many questions as you need. Please don't ever feel a pain or that your being a bother - that won't be the case here at all. We're here to support each other.

Hope this helps & please do let us know how you get on & wish you all the best for the future. 

Hi Worried24

Good news your doctors don't think there's a cancer. Ultrasound is good but I think it takes an ENT to begin diagnosis anyway. Is that ultrasound under an ENT referral? If no-one will refer you then you can book privately (I assume) if that's the level of worry you still have after the other evidence is in.

I would be surprised if the professionals miss cancer, but nothing is impossible.

This is exactly...with minor changes obviously...how my own tonsil and base of tongue cancer was diagnosed...it follows an identical pattern.

Have faith in the people dealing with you, they are very experienced and if you have concerns can put your mind at rest.

Were you symptoms similar to mine or the other persons who posted? Can't tell who you were replying to...sorry!

I was replying to Falco Pete

Hi Nick,

After a bit of confusion there seems we're back on track (chuckle). With now being 4+ years cancer free & heading positively towards the magical 5 yrs I'm fine thanks Nick & hope you are too.

Thanks for the kind words.

Thanks for all the messages guys, I'm so inspired by yours and Nicki's bravery and so glad you're here today to tell the tale as they say :)

I'm trying to be rational about this, but I can't help it when my 'symptoms' flare up and I feel so down about it. My throat is really irritated at the moment, but I'm just hoping that's down to seasonal allergies.

Is an ultrasound any help in diagnosing tonsil HPV based cancer? It wasn't a referral from an ENT, but from my GP. If my symptoms persist at the beginning of August which is when my ultra sound is, i'll press for a referral to an ENT. 

Thank you guys!

Demand a fine needle biopsy if that's what it takes to make you relax. That's the definitive test and it's very simple to do. The doctor can pull a sample during a normal visit, there is no surgery, etc involved to reach the lymph node. They just use a very fine needle to poke in and grab some cells. In 24 hours you'll know for sure.

I had tonsil cancer that spread into the lymph exactly like you are talking about. In my experience by the time it spreads you will almost certainly have other symptoms like sweats, weight loss, general bad health feeling, low energy. SCC cancer is quite fast and aggressive until it gets treated so the fact it is lingering is very much in your favor.

Every symptom you are discussing can also apply to allergies. The fact it kicked up in May only drives that point home even more. I'm not saying to not be concerned but there are more likely explanations than cancer.

Tell your doc to do the biopsy. You won't even need a band-aid to cover the puncture and you will know stone sure without any more guessing. Good luck brother and take a moment to thank God that you didn't become one of us. You don't want this.