Cancer Research UK main site

Referral to head and neck specialist?

Chartone
Offline

Hello I am new here, 

I have had a pain in my left side of my ear and neck for around 4 weeks now, I went to my drs at the start and they told me I have a abscess in my ear canal that was probably causing problems.

I was on antibiotics for a week with no change, so monday just gone I went back to the drs and explained there was no change, they checked my ear again and said a abscess is still there but that wouldn't be causing my symptoms.

Symptoms as follows, neck pain on left side, feeling tired, difficulty swollowing change in voice throughout the day (sometimes crumbly voice and then goes to normal, and a numbness which is hard to explain in my mouth, basically when eating and drinking it feels asthough it goes down the right side of my throat not the left, feel a need to clear throat.

I have no swollen glands or lumps that can be felt, my tonsils are fine, nothing they have picked up on in my mouth.

My drs have phoned ENT and they said due to the symptoms I need to see a head and neck cancer consultant (I have this appointment on the 5th november)

I have just had my blood test results back today as I had them done urgently done, everything is fine with them, which was full blood count, liver, kidneys, arthritis, calcium, alkaline, infection, all these as I said came back fine with no action needed.

I understand no one is medically trained here, but can you have head/neck cancers without lumps? I'm just concerned why I would be seeing a cancer specialist 

  • Offline in reply to Milliemoo1

    Hi I too hadvthe possible latent t b it is in the increase in the U.K. so inky worlds of advise I can give you is try nit to stress keep off dr google and good luck for the 18 the. Remember whichever ut is the n h s are really good we are so lucky to have them. 

    Latent t b as far as I know is a long course if treatment by tablets and lymphoma is no longer the feared disease if caught early can be monitored I have friends who are 10 years into remission .

    good luck

    Hazel x

  • Offline in reply to RadioactiveRaz

    My dad contracted TB back in 2001/2002 there was an outbreak in his little social club 4 members contracted it. My dad went untreated for a long time because he had copd and think he put a lot of his problems down to that.

    I lived at home at the time I removed going for an x-ray and skin *** test to check I hadn't contracted it at the time. I'd had my BCG jag a few years earlier in school luckily as I'm guessing that protected me.

    Fast forward to today and they say the slight scaring on lungs and calcification of nodes is consistent with tb especially since I've been exposed to it. Find it quite hard to believe it has lay dormant for 18 odd years though and the tests came back negative at the time my dad had it.

    Anyway of course I use Dr Google then I start thinking things like lung cancer driving myself mad. Dr Google has also mentioned something called scarsosis. 

    im actually terrified of being put to sleep now as well I'm a nervous wreck at the moment.

    when tb was mentioned to you did they say the thought it could be that or were they more swaying the lymphoma side of things? Hope you don't mind me asking.

     

  • Offline in reply to Milliemoo1

    Hi cancer was only mentioned as an after thought as we walked out of room I had been sent for chest x Ray thstvsfternoin n consultant spotted scaring too if one lung immediately said latent tb I said u hsd the b c g vaccine st 13 said could have been exposed before then. As we walked out of four she added will check for cancer as well but am sure it’s latent t b.  Fast forward a week walked in after 90 min wait didn’t sit down she said squamous cancer cells in lymph node re miss of me last week better use s camera. She did then briskly told me I would loose 1/2 my tongue.  Umm wrong again it was my right tonsil more info on my blog

    www. Radioactiveraz. Wordpress. com . 

    please  keep off google 

    good luck 

    Hazel x

  • Offline in reply to RadioactiveRaz

    T b can lay there dormant in my case she thought over 55 years !!!! 

    H x

  • Offline in reply to RadioactiveRaz

    Was the scaring and calsification caused by your tonsil cancer or was that just coincidence?

    Sorry just trying to grasp on to maybe it being TB for myself although I'm really quite doubtful.

    I know that whatever it is I'll have treatment but it's just me and my husband 300 miles away from my family. His are selfish and won't help out in the slightest he won't even ask them now. I've got 3 young children between the ages of 5 and 13. My own mum died when I was 13 of breast cancer and my dad 10 years later copd. I'm an only child. All my aunts uncles and cousins who would be there to help are in Scotland. In laws are 5 mins away and just don't help in the slightest it's all about them.

     

    ive just realised I've got on a bit of a rant there I'm just feeling fed up.

  • Offline in reply to Milliemoo1

    The swelling if the lymph nodes was the nodes holding dead cancer cells from my tonsil cancer .somin effect they did their job and stopped anybstray cells wandering g around my system l I didn’t have any calcification.

    its ok to rant 

    sorry about your family issues. Hubby needs to get his act together and pronto likewise in laws are going to have to look after their grandchildren 

    thunk yiu need to call a family meet8 g and lay it out straight tonyhem if yiu are havinga neck dissection yiu aren’t going to be fit for anything soorybti he stark but it’s true at least for few weeks 

    hazel x

  • Offline in reply to RadioactiveRaz

    Hubby is great in fairness. He just wont ask them again because they are only interested in themselves. I feel sorry for him as he sees how my family are even 300 miles away.

    I didn't realise I'd be out of action for a few weeks to be honest with you she's only taking 1-2 glands he'll have to take time off work then. 
     

  • Offline in reply to Milliemoo1

    Depend so how they do the cut thought itbwas a full neck dissection but you will need some time if they cut from outside to heal 

    h  it’s perfectky fine to rant by the way 

  • Offline

    Hey everyone

    Just a quick update.

    Had my MRI done today with contrast, think I got worked up over nothing (I get claustrophobic), but due to have it done head and neck having the head shield was quite scary but they had a mirror on there so I could see out of the tunnel, so at least I wasnt looking straight up at the machine.

    I'm already booked in for results on the 26th November, still no change in symptoms which is a big worry to me, I do wish to wake up one day and I have no pain and that my swallowing is back to normal and no horrendous dry mouth...so 8 weeks now all in all.

    Now to get over the next 8 days and see what the results are.

    Xxx

Speak to a nurse

Quick links

Follow us

Registered with Fundraising Regulator (logo)
Cancer Research UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1089464), Scotland (SC041666), the Isle of Man (1103) and Jersey (247). A company limited by guarantee. Registered company in England and Wales (4325234) and the Isle of Man (5713F). Registered address: 2 Redman Place, London, E20 1JQ.