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A lot of times this is misdiagnosed originally as some kind of reaction to lymph node swelling; an infection in need of an antibiotic. I had a good GP that said to me that he would do a week's worth of antibiotics to see if the swelling went down. He then said “you know, this could be quite serious” and I knew he was talking about possible lymphoma. Antibiotics had no effect.

He sent me to a general surgeon who took a needle biopsy and all that came out was clear fluid. He was optimistic this may be a “brancial cleft cyst”. Went to surgery to have it removed as the area had filled up again. Turns out the fluid was benign, but the “cyst” was a fully engaged lymph node and a couple neighboring ones, and it was squamous cell cancer. What a curious diagnosis.

Lived in Akron Ohio. This general surgeon had no idea where the “origin” of the cancer was —but said I should start chemo, radiation and have surgery. Screw that noise, I was able to get into Cleveland Clinic. First appt. for an evaluation included a team of an Oncologist, Radiologist and an ENT. They wanted to do biopsies of my mouth, tonsils, esophagus, tongue the whole works. I've never smoked or drank....but the ENT said I had the tonsils of a 60 year old smoker. He told the other two docs that the origin of my cancer was the left tonsil.

When I asked him “how do you know” he said that there was a vein distended on the tonsil surface that told him there was a tumor underneath. Underwent the biopsies and yes, the cancer was in the left tonsil. So, January 2, 1992 I started radiation, and 2 rounds of 96 hour chemo delivered i the hospital.

After all that was done (early March) I was schedule for surgery. All the docs said that since I was already opened up and had surgery done they couldn't evaluate whether that surgeon had gotten everything. So, in early April I had a radical neck dissection which took all the lymph nodes on the left side, the muscle, the jugular vein and fat tissue. All that is really left are the major blood vessels, major nerves, tendons, etc. The radiation did destroy my saliva glands and thyroid. A water bottle has been my permanent companion since I finished radiation and chemo.

But —I'm on this side of the dirt and celebrating 31 years cancer survival. This is not a blood cancer, so only a visual check by the ENT is all I have to ensure everything looks “normal”. The Doc said he has seen rarer cancers in younger people, and attributed it to toxins in the environment. I wonder if he's changed him mind 30+ years later.

I was one of those “kids” that was exposed to nuclear atmospheric testing in the mid 50’s so I wonder......