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I have just been diagnosed with tonsil cancer. Need to know the best dr's and hospitals in the USA for treating tonsil cancer and why they are the best. Need statistics on cure rate. I am an accomplished trumpet player and need to keep my saliva glands on the lower jaw. Is this possible to keep radiation from eliminating function of these glands? My cancer has spread from the left tonsil to the left lymph node. Thank you.
Cancer Surgery Dry mouth Head and neck cancer Physical therapy
Are you guys really sure those things are cancer, or just some allergy? Are you that old, or is there a history of cancer in your family? You know when you start eating too much of ginger for example your tonsil might react, and if you do not realize that it is the ginger you will keep eating it and causing more inflamation and your node will respond to it and irtt will never get well till you stop eating the ginger. So they might get frightened and think it is cancer. How is cancer test done? Are there some special cells that are too different from normal inflamation?
Radiation will have an effect on whatever it hits, so yes, this will most likely have some type of effect on your glands but you won't know the severity until this is over.
Hello,
I have just survived throat cancer with radiation, they told me that they were not radiating near my mouth so I would not lose my salivia, they were wrong, I have lost my salivia and my taste buds, which is awful also, the taste buds will come back but the salivia never will, all the prescriptions for salivia are worthless to me as once the glands are dead they will not produce again. I can't tell you that living past this disease is not worth the loss of salivia but I can tell you it is horrible. I am going to lose all my teeth very soon as the decay has begun due to loss of salivia, i have terrible trouble eating can't swallow without salivia, things like bread or carbs require an immediate drink or its stuck in your throat. I have met a friend on this web site who has tonsil and mouth cancer and she just finished radiation and chemo, so I do not know whether she is experiencing this loss, but assume you will lose salivia and know it is a life changing side effect, but you will live. NO one can answer whether you will survive this, it all depends on your stage and whether or no it has hit lymph nodes to travel thru your body to other places, but never give up hope! I smoked and still smoke like an idiot that I am and have beat my cancer for now, always a chance it will return, but I have faith in my body to fight this off. I have a great nutritionist ( who does not approve of my smoking) but who helped me get thru this with little or no problems like many I have spoken too, so investigate ask and stay positive, if you want to correspond I will give you my email, good luck with all you are about to do.
denimite@verizon.net
M. D. Anderson in Houston have the best head and neck cancer teams in the USA. You can check their ratings on line. I have survived stage lll toncil cancer for 7 years now. I had radical neck dissection, chemo and radiation concurrently. Your tonsil cancer has spread regionnaly to your limph nodes, this is typical, unfortunately tonsil cancer has usually advanced this far before it is noticed. The radiation will definitely effect your salivary glands, I only have one set working and it is under my right jaw, saliva meds never worked for me, I still have to have a bottle of water very near by wherever I go, and dry mouth at night will be a constant remember. During the day I find that chewing sugarless gum helps alot...I don't know what you treatment modalities will be, it will depend basically on how many lymph nodes are involved. I was scheduled to have a modified radical neck dissection, but when the 6 hour surgery began, they realized that they would have to perform a radical neck dissection, the difference between the two is very significant, the radical neck dissection means that the spinal accessory nerve will have to be sacrificed, since this is on your left side, it means you will lose a lot of use of your left shoulder for the rest of your life, as severing the nerve causes the trapozoid muscle in your shoulder to atrophy(mostly disappear). also you will lose a lot of mobility in your neck as a whole, physical therapy helps, but it's not enough. If you have to have surgery, find out to what extent. M.D. Anderson have great teams for all that you will have to endure, they will tell you a lot, but just the same, ask lots and lots of questions, they will tell you the truth. Also I would recommend that you go on line and research all you can about tonsil cancer... Best of luck, you can e-mail me if you like, I can tell you all what to expect from surgery, chemo, and radiation.. Remember, I am a 7 year survivor, so you can survive as well..
Hi Tfnogle:
When we have the wisdom and faith to look for relying in Someone who love us as much as He loves His Son, and this One has the power to do, even, what is impossible, them we can reach peace when we feel and say: "In your hands Father I put my sins, my sickness, and my life, because I know you have given your beloved Son Jesus to make my life whole."
I am including some links to sites offering alternative treaments for cancer.
God bless you,,,
1) http://linchitzipt.com/
2)http://www.drrodsantos.com/iv_sodium_bicarbonate.html
3) http://www.medicorcancer.com/DCAtherapy.html
4) http://www.curenaturalicancro.com/summary-whole-therapy.html
5) http://www.cancertutor.com/Other/Clinics.html
6) http://www.cancertutor.com
I have one Tonsil that goes half way across my throat, very large. What are some of the tonsil cancers symptoms? I've never heard of this cancer before.
If you can enlighten me on this I would appreciate it greatly. I'm a 69 year old lady and have put of having it removed.
My husband was diagnosed exactly one year ago. He is now cancer free and the doctors are very pleased with his progress. He finished treatments in Oct. of 2009.
Re saliva - he was given amifostine every day. First via shots near the buttocks (ouch), then via drip. It was worth it for him. Saliva did not totally come back but he does NOT have to carry a bottle of water everywhere he goes. He finds this very liveable!
He had radiation and 3 chemos, no surgery needed. He did not have a feeding tube, our radiologist did not believe in it as one may forget how to swallow.
Key - keep hydrated. Toward the end of treatment nothing tasted good, could not swallow easily, but he was getting IV each day and later in treatment one day per weekend at the hospital. If you need the hydration over a weekend ASK FOR IT.
Caregivers - my experience, stay positive, be a cheerleader, do not be upset when they do not eat what you suggest. They turn into food monsters as everything tastes like cardboard! Let them tell you what they think they can eat. My hubs existed on farina for many weeks.
He lost 40 pounds. He looked gaunt. He has gained the proper amount of weight back, eats lots, taste has not totally come back, but it is very good and acceptable, he now runs, plays baseball and travels.
A gift each and every day. We looked at this experience as a teaching, in a way spiritual. It sounds funny but it helped us get through a rough time.
One last thought. We had the opportunity to have treatments in NYC. We have a wonderful cancer clinic in Westchester, 25 miles from NYC. Thank goodness we did Westchester - Personally I do not think he would have done as well dealing with traffic and distance twice per day for three months even with my driving.
My thoughts, I hope they help.
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