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Tonsil Cancer

(15 Posts)
tcherry Thu 17-Jul-14 01:09:39

I wonder if anyone could help, I have had an awful shock, my young son has a whit spot on the end of what looks like a stump at the back of his throat and was told by his GP that it needs to be tested for possible tonsil cancer.

Does anyone have any knowledge or experience of this.

Humbertbear Thu 17-Jul-14 06:12:53

Tcherry - I am sorry you have had such a scare. I had this with my son when he was an older teenager. He went to the GP and phoned me at work to meet him at the hospital where a doctor was waiting to see him. It turned out to be a complete scare . The consultant took one look and sent us home. Your GP is probably just being careful but do follow it up. I hope it just turns out to be a false alarm. Please let us know how you get on. I will be thinking about you.

janeainsworth Thu 17-Jul-14 11:35:43

tcherry I think we worry about our children a great deal more than we worry about ourselves.
Tonsil cancer is very rare, I hope your son's GP is being very cautious and you will soon be reassured that it's something innocuous flowers

Nonnie Thu 17-Jul-14 11:55:42

I remember having this myself once as a child and my parents put it down to tonsillitis. Most cases are probably just this but you are fortunate to have such a careful GP. Let's hope it is gone before you even see the specialist, but go anyway.

tcherry Thu 17-Jul-14 15:58:43

Thank you for your reply's and your good wishes

My son is saying that the doctor has given him an appointment for two months time and I was horrified. If it is the worse, why wait so very long?

I am having trouble persuading my son that this is something that needs to be done sooner rather than later.

Nonnie Thu 17-Jul-14 16:26:25

I would push for an earlier appointment.

Mishap Thu 17-Jul-14 16:30:22

He should go back to the GP and say he has given it some th0ught, looked it up etc, and he wishes to ask him/her more about it - does s/he think the risk of it being cancerous is high? If the answer is yes, he should insist on an earlier appointment. If that is not forthcoming and there are any savings available to you, then I would go private.

tcherry Thu 17-Jul-14 16:51:24

Nonnie you say this happened to you when you were in your teens, what happened could you tell me please, did you have a finger like with white end on you tonsil?

I agree with everyone saying my son should go back to the GP but he is dragging his feet, not sure why, I don't think he is afraid but am really not sure, he has a holiday coming up and he said he wants to deal with things when he comes back, but I am very against this.

Nonnie Thu 17-Jul-14 17:23:21

Yes, white on my tonsils, both of them and a temperature. Does the boy have a temperature?

If it were my son I would push him to go to the doc before the holiday and push it so that he can relax while he is away knowing something is being done. The doc is not going to believe he is worried if he leaves it until after the hols.

I think men can sometimes hide from things they don't like. Suspect he is being an ostrich.

tcherry Thu 17-Jul-14 18:09:56

He does not have a temperature I think you may have had tonsils stones,

His symptoms are an ear ache and the thing on his tonsils

Yes I agree and we are slowly nagging him into going back to the GP

Williamsmith Fri 19-May-17 11:42:18

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Elegran Fri 19-May-17 11:47:47

This is a dormant thread from 2014. Tcherry left Gransnet years ago.

Ana Fri 19-May-17 11:50:30

Surely if his GP suspects it might be cancer he should be referred to ENT much sooner - the NHS has guidelines for the investigation of possible cancer. Your son should really make more of a fuss! (hopefully it won't be cancer, but best to be sure...)

Elegran Fri 19-May-17 12:05:39

It will have been diagnosed and treated by now, ana.

Ana Fri 19-May-17 12:12:05

Oh goodness - caught out by the dreaded 'old thread revival' grin