Primary Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oropharynx and level 11 LN

Hi. I had cancer in the left tonsil 16 years ago. Both tonsils and 1 node were removed. I don't know if it was HPV related. My surgeon said I was stage 4. My treatment was 33 radiation and 6 chemo (cisplatin and taxol).
I'm sure radiation "targeting" and chemo treatments has changed and/or my cancer wasn't HPV related - don't know.

Bottom line is I'm here to type you this note. I seen many others, who's treatments were over ten years ago, on this blog. There are never any guarantees and treatments and post treatment is a journey, but I hope this brings you encouragement. Best wishes.

very similar. switched to carboplatin from cisplatin halfway through when hearing loss was evident. I assume photon radiation? will notice fatigue about halfway through the journey. still dealing with side effects 18 months later but not a huge change of lifestyle. Feel free to contact me if you wish. Best of luck

Hello sorry to hear about your diagnosis.
Yes I had the same treatment for base iftongue cancer that went to 2 nodes.
As if today there are no signs of cancer as per my last PET scan. So YES it is successful.
Radiation is tough and many unpleasant side affects but you will be healed. Good luck amd keep us updated. God Bless!

Thank you for the response. Best of luck to you!!

At age 39, I was officially Stage IVB T2N3M0 tonsil cancer on my left side caused by HPV and 3 infected lymph nodes. I am 17ys out (2008 diagnosis) where I had 35 rounds of Photon radiation which amounted to 70 Gy (7weeks) and 3 rounds of the platinum-based chemo Cisplatin.

I had other issues come up along the way. So be very aware of what is going on inside your mouth and throat. To name a few off the top of my head, it destroyed my thyroid giving me Hypothyroidism (makes you feel fatigued and most of the time you gain weight too) so now I have to take a pill for it for the rest of my life. Watch your bone structure and tooth decay in that region too- so make sure you go to your dentist every six months. Paralyzed my left vocal cord so my voice is not as loud as it once was, and swallowing has gotten worse but going to a speech/swallowing therapist has helped as I can basically eat anything just may take longer depending on what it is. Scarring of both upper lungs. Had dry mouth so I researched and found electrical stimulation acupuncture in 2015 where I was tested to get a baseline and retested after 8-10 appts. and had great results- never needed to go back and has been fine ever since. Since then, I believe there are other avenues like sprays to help with that. My accessory spinal nerve is damaged (called Brachial Plexus Legions) which is why my left shoulder sags and trapezius muscles wasting away with winging of the scapula. Also, I would see a dermatologist at least annually to watch for any potential skin cancer from the radiation too.
Lastly, the radiation not HPV as I had it tested was my cause of getting tongue cancer in (2024) as its location was literally next to my left tonsil and now, I am doing a ton of rehab for that.

One thing I am finding out through research is there is this big de-escalation cancer treatments especially with radiation coming about for people who got it as a result of HPV, and I have attached a few articles on it.
Good news is that I am still here and still fighting to improve on my current conditions.

Hope this helps and good luck on your journey as it is a little different for everyone.

Hi. I just finished 28 radiation and 5 cisplatin treatments on 1/10/2025.
The treatments worked and made me cancer free. My weekly experience is posted under this 4dogsrental name.
Best of luck to you. Things get harder as you progress into treatments but you can do it. I constantly told myself that I just had to do what many had done before me; and that kept me going. Best wishes.

Thank you for the articles and your feedback. I truly appreciate your support!

Hi @ggg80206 I didn't get a chance to welcome you to our group. I see you have been well served by many who have been down a similar path. Left tonsil and sinus in my case twenty-four years ago and I'm still kicking like others here.
The radiation will get a bit difficult to handle near the finish line and likely continue to cook for several days afterwards with a very slow recovery, similar to a burn as far as recovery goes. This is a great place to ask your questions and get a little encouragement during and after your treatments. As Sir Winston often said, "Courage."
Welcome and good healing.

Thank you for the encouragement. It's helpful to hear your story. I'll be following this group for support. 🙏