Hi everyone,

My mother had her left Tonsil removed last year, which turned out to have cancer.

Moms oncologist has advised us that if the cancer returned in the other tonsil it would be very hard to treat as they could not give her radiotherapy again.

I have asked about her having the other tonsil removed as a precaution, however they dont seem to advise this, and i just wondered if you had any advice on what we should do.

Perspective: Just because one tonsil had cancer, it doesn't follow that the other one will develop it. Otherwise the whole tongue would be removed just because there was cancer on one side! Go with the oncologist's advice. There is a limit to the RT that tissue can tolerate without being irreversibly damaged but there are other treatments like PDT, surgery, chemotherapy and even judicious radiation using IMRT techniques, etc.

Hi Vinod,

Thanks for the advice, as always re-assuring!

Hi,

Hope things are good with your mum.

I had cancer on the area of my left tonsil. I presumed it was removed during the biopsy. I was having a check up a couple of months ago and the consultant said "You know both your tonsils are gone?".

I was surprised as I had two before I was diagnosed with cancer, I think. He then mentioned that maybe they were both removed during surgery or the R/T got it?

Don't know if anyone else has heard of this?

regards

Ken