Is cancer of the tonsils painful?

Cancer of the tonsil is a type of head and neck cancer. Symptoms often include a painless neck lump and a sore throat. The main risk factors for tonsil cancer are smoking, drinking alcohol and infection with the HPV virus.

What is early stage tonsil cancer?

What are the symptoms of tonsil cancer? The number one symptom is asymmetrical tonsils, having one tonsil larger than the other. Another symptom is a persistent sore throat. At later stages, there are enlarged lymph nodes or cysts in the neck and maybe ear pain.

What are the symptoms of tonsil cancer in adults?

Symptoms depend on the size of the cancer. It’s not uncommon for the first symptom to be a lump in the neck. Other symptoms may include: hoarseness or a change in your speaking voice. fatigue. unexplained weight loss. ear pain, especially on only one side. difficulty swallowing or opening your mouth.

Can you get tonsil cancer on either side of the throat?

Tonsil cancer refers to a cancerous condition in which one of the three tonsils gets affected. Most commonly the cancer affects palatine tonsils that are present on either side of the throat.

When did I find out I had tonsil cancer?

When I was there for my tonsil cancer treatments in late 2016 and early 2017, I’d always see someone who was worse off than I was. That gave me a better perspective on my own situation. But surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy still took their toll, and some days felt harder than others. Here are five things I learned from that experience.

Why do people with tonsil cancer have difficulty swallowing?

The enlargement of lymph nodes causes ear pain and discomfort. Facing difficulty in swallowing food – Most tonsil cancer patients suffers difficulty in swallowing food due to a cancerous growth. The difficulty arises due to swollen tonsils that cause difficulty in swallowing food.