What were your early symptoms before diagnosed with a Parotid Tumor?

I hope your appointment went well in January.
I had a parotid gland removed due to the high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma tumor. The surgery was successful, but it was intense, a 6 hour surgery unfortunately I had to have the main facial nerve removed as well, the cancer was attached to the nerve as well. I have permanent facial paralysis. The surgery was 8 years ago. I had pain in my left jaw area. It was very painful and I had a hard time opening my mouth to talk or eat. I went to the after hours clinic and they thought a tooth abscess. I did have an abscess and had it cleaned out, but still the pain remained on my left jaw area. They finally did a ct scan and found the tumor. Don't ignore pain or lumps, they get more expensive when you ignore them. There is always help out there. Your life is important. Ask questions and never stop researching. Be your advocate.

@jules26
Your post is fascinating to me because you just described what I went through with a parotid gland tumor. Yes to starting at pea size, yes to getting harder over the years. But I waited 5 years not 10. I also had to wait until I had medical insurance. I had a gut feeling about "the lump" as I called it, when it hardened. I knew it was cancer.

I want to tell you that I had a slow growing cancer, cell type was acinic cell carcinoma. I had a parotidectomy and then they found it had spread onto the side of my face so it was just in time. But because that is Stage II, I went through radiation treatments. This was 30 years ago. The cancer has been in remission.

I worked as an RN in oncology when I got sick. I need to tell you to "research" the 10 Warning Signs of Cancer.
You cannot "ask AI" while you have been living with a lump (a warning sign of cancer) for 10 years. It might help you make priorities around your health if I could tell you that it was much more stressful going through those parotid gland tumor symptoms, than it was to actually go to an ENT surgeon. He touched the gland and told me, I believe you have a tumor. Surgery was scheduled.

I went to Stanford Medical Center with a good doctor who I trusted. Before I saw him another doctor sent me for a biopsy. What I learned at Stanford is the parotid gland is a complex gland and cannot be biopsied! accurately. If a doctor tells you that you need surgery, at this point I really encourage you to listen.

I hope you check back here after January 6th! You can pm me here is you want to.

Do you mind sharing who the doctor you saw at Stanford is?

Thanks,

John

@jules26
Your post is fascinating to me because you just described what I went through with a parotid gland tumor. Yes to starting at pea size, yes to getting harder over the years. But I waited 5 years not 10. I also had to wait until I had medical insurance. I had a gut feeling about "the lump" as I called it, when it hardened. I knew it was cancer.

I want to tell you that I had a slow growing cancer, cell type was acinic cell carcinoma. I had a parotidectomy and then they found it had spread onto the side of my face so it was just in time. But because that is Stage II, I went through radiation treatments. This was 30 years ago. The cancer has been in remission.

I worked as an RN in oncology when I got sick. I need to tell you to "research" the 10 Warning Signs of Cancer.
You cannot "ask AI" while you have been living with a lump (a warning sign of cancer) for 10 years. It might help you make priorities around your health if I could tell you that it was much more stressful going through those parotid gland tumor symptoms, than it was to actually go to an ENT surgeon. He touched the gland and told me, I believe you have a tumor. Surgery was scheduled.

I went to Stanford Medical Center with a good doctor who I trusted. Before I saw him another doctor sent me for a biopsy. What I learned at Stanford is the parotid gland is a complex gland and cannot be biopsied! accurately. If a doctor tells you that you need surgery, at this point I really encourage you to listen.

I hope you check back here after January 6th! You can pm me here is you want to.

A meningemas brain tumor was discovered in 2018 while in the hospital for something totally unrelated. I've bee watched by a neuro-surgeon for that ever since. He continues to push for removal and chemo and radiation. I am now 89 and still refusing. He and I continue to follow the brain tumor (now with a large attached edema) with MRIs with and without contrast. In the Fall, he advised me that he'd been seeing a parotid gland tumor in my left cheek but the mass was now growing. I finally got an appointment with an ENT who sent me to the hospital for an outpatient biopsy which was recently done. Bottom line is they are just watching. I have no pain from either tumor (brain or parotid gland) and nothing visible inside my cheek or outside. At my age, I am not looking to do anything "eventful" but I am concerned. My mouth seems dry all the time, I have noticed. And my teeth roots seem to be march fast, thus causing extractions. The teeth I still have are all my own, but I'm wondering if this parotid gland malady is now affecting the roots of the left side of my teet,

@rmbs
I'm seeing your post a month later... regarding your mouth being dry: I have had a parotid tumor that I couldn't seek care for because of no medical insurance. It definitely caused dry mouth and also affected my gums and teeth. I was in my 30's though so when I could get insurance I had surgery and radiation treatments. I'm sorry you are going through this and wonder if it's dry mouth from the parotid tumor causing your dental problems, rather than the tumor affecting the roots of your mouth. Whatever it is, you have a good plan with medical care even if you are "just watching." Thinking of you.