Hello all! So grateful to have found this forum. I am a 58 y.o. wife and mother, never smoker. I have read literally every thread here that is relevant to my recently diagnosed OSCC of the left tonsil. “Debulking biopsy demonstrated p16+ left tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma.” Still have so many questions.
Luckily we live 2 1/2 hours from UPenn Hospital system, and I have met with a specialist for this kind of cancer, Dr. Basu.
I was diagnosed a little over two weeks ago by the local ENT who did a procedure in office to remove a “third tonsil“ that had suddenly appeared that she thought was just a papilloma, and was shocked to discover upon biopsy that it was cancerous.
I have a biopsy under anesthesia scheduled on the 30th of this month because a subsequent MRI shows a small possible remaining tumor under the healed area. Dr. Basu preliminarily has sketched out a treatment plan that includes lymph node dissection followed separately about a week later by TORS surgery to remove the remaining area of concern. After the biopsy, my case will be reviewed by the UPenn tumor board, and a treatment plan will be finalized.
I’m hopeful that we caught this early and I’m praying that radiation and or chemo won’t be required. I’m also grateful that this is apparently a “good“ kind of cancer that responds well to treatment but I’m very much dreading the upcoming surgeries and possible long-term complications.
Anyways, that’s my introduction. Thank you for being here and reading. 💖