Enlarged Tonsil -- Cancer?

@rjake12003, I can imagine how you are concerned after hearing the words "I want to rule out cancer." It's a good thing that the ENT noticed the enlarged tonsil and is investigating further.

Here's an excerpt from this helpful article: https://www.healthline.com/health/swollen-tonsils#what-causes-one-swollen-tonsil
What causes one swollen tonsil?
"If you’ve noticed only one seemingly swollen tonsil on your child (or yourself), it could be a peritonsillar abscess. A peritonsillar abscess forms at the back of the mouth and manifests as a pus-filled tissue next to one tonsil. These abscesses are typically a complication of tonsillitis and tend to be rare because tonsillitis is usually treated before the abscess can form.
One swollen tonsil may also be a sign of tonsil cancer, although other symptoms usually show up along with it, like a chronic sore throat and enlarged lymph nodes."

You don't have other symptoms that suggest cancer, but that does need to be ruled out. Swollen tonsils and lymph nodes can also be a result of infection. Since you recently also had COVID, your symptoms could be related to that. Don't beat yourself up for waiting for 4 months to follow-up. You're taking care of your health now and getting the attention this deserves.

When is the biopsy?

Thank you for replying and your reassuring words. Biopsy isn't until February 22. That's 17 days from now. I am going crazy with the waiting.

If I have a biopsy of my tonsil will it indicate whether cancer cells are present anywhere else in the throat? Symptoms overlap between tonsil cancer and throat cancer. I'd hate to be clean with a tonsil biopsy only to learn later that the cancer cells were elsewhere in the throat and went undetected. Any info is appreciated. Thanks.

Jake, the biopsy will likely be an incisional biopsy of the tonsil or a fine needle aspiration biopsy of a lump in the neck. To rule out cancer anywhere else, your team will likely also order imaging studies for example a CT (computed tomography) scan, PET scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

These are really good questions to ask your doctor. Have you had any imaging done already?

Nothing done as yet. Just the initial scope in the Dr office.

Scope result:

Base of Tongue: lesion (Left lingual tonsil significantly larger than
right overhanging the epiglottis, but not obstructing airway)

Are you scheduling for further diagnostic testing?

YEs Biopsy next week

Hi rjake, how is your biopsy result?

Positive for throat/tongue cancer HPV+16. PETscan also showed a bright spot in sinus cavity which needs checked out via CT scan. Waiting to schedule that and dental work before radiation treatment can start.