How serious is HPV-related throat cancer in lymph nodes?

I was diagnosed with the same, mine was left tonsil cancer, stage 1. I had TORS surgery with a radial left tonsillectomy and a right tonsillectomy (my doctor removed the right tonsil since he said this was the most common site for reoccurrence). along with a neck dissection (30 lymph nodes removed). They were able to remove the entire tumor and obtained clean margins so I didn’t need radiation or chemo thank goodness. My lymph nodes all came back negative although there was a suspicious area on the lymph nodes with my PET scan prior to surgery. I had surgery on June 16 at the Mayo Clinic in Florida. If you end up having surgery you can reach back out to me if you have any questions. Overall I’m doing pretty well 😌

How did you know it was tonsil cancer? I had a big lump coming out of my neck so I knew something was wrong otherwise I never would have known. Did you see a spot on your tonsil? Just curious. The diagnosis was a complete shock to me with the lymph node enlarged.

I am sorry. I have cancer on both of my tonsils and it is metastasized on my right side. I was shocked with the diagnosis. I don’t want you to be waiting for treatment so see your dentist immediately if you are having radiation to your neck. Because they didn’t tell me that I needed dental clearance it has been 3 months since my diagnosis and still no treatment. I had a root canal and two extractions last week. Good luck Robert

I am having my surgery Wednesday for right tonsil and lymph nodes. Hoping for the same results as Karen

Good luck Stephen

Wow, I had exact same. Origin is base of tongue, spread to both lymph nodes on both sides of neck. I did 35 radiation treatments and it was horrible. I haven’t eaten solid food since May. Radiation destroys taste buds and I do not make saliva anymore. Treatment is very hard on you and you will want to quit every day

2 weeks in...had a very bad reaction to cisplatin..stopped that and they are putting me on another chemo starting Monday. Was super nauseas , still can't eat a lot. I know this only gets worse as I go through the weeks.

Surgery was successful. My surgeon was able to get it all and no radiation or chemotherapy is needed. Having issues with swallowing and pain. Slow recovery. I can only say to everyone don’t wait, go to another doctor or clinic if you’re waiting. My dentist sent me to ENT and I went to Emory. I’m one of the lucky ones. Prayers to all of you.

HPV-related throat cancers, especially when caught before spreading beyond nearby lymph nodes, often respond well to treatment and have encouraging outcomes compared to other types of head and neck cancers. The feelings of uncertainty are completely understandable when facing this diagnosis, and many others in this community have walked similar paths and found their way through treatment successfully. Consider sharing updates as you learn more from your laryngoscopy results, as connecting with others who understand this journey can provide valuable support and perspective during treatment.

2 months from my surgery. I am still struggling with swallowing and speaking clearly. VPI is what the doctors say is still recovering which causes me to get real nasally when speaking. I’m set for my 3 month appointment next month and am hoping for the next steps. Surgeon told me to be patient as the surgery is still recovering. Tingling around my incision on my neck. Numbness across my shoulder still. I guess I should be happy but it’s very hard waiting for my speech to return to some type of normal.

Had same diagnosis but was on my tonsils. Dentist saw it and sent me to my doctor and then to ent. Had surgery in September, no rad or chemotherapy. Still struggling with swallowing and speech. Dr says I have small VPI issues but need to wait longer for surgery to heal before addressing it. Had lymph node’s on right side of neck removed as well. All margins were good for both sites. No real pain issues. Lots of tingling on my neck and occasional small strikes of nerves. Don’t know how to explain it but dr said it’s normal while all the nerves heal from the surgery.