Kindly requesting advice

mrog1
mrog1 Member Posts: 2
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Hi there everyone

My name is Martin and I'm 35. I am from England originally but I now live and work in the States with my American wife. I only found this message board last night and first please let me say what an inspiration you all are, not just to sufferers but to anyone.

I would greatly welcome any advice you could give me. Five weeks ago, while travelling, I noticed a lump, low and to the right side of my neck. I consulted a doctor in Brazil who advised me that there shouldn't be anything to worry about.

At the start of this week, the lump was still there and I also started experiencing some other symptoms such as occasional dizziness and nausea, as well as mucus at night, followed by hoarseness a couple of days ago.

Yesterday morning my doctor sent me for an MRI to rule out brain cancer and was concerned that the lump was a lymph node. I was delighted and relieved when the MRI came back negative. She then scheduled me for an ultrasound and a chest x-ray, which I will be taking this morning.

However, yesterday evening, after doing some research online, I found that the symptoms I have seem to be much more consistent with HPV-positive throat cancer. I have lost weight (from 164 to 159 in just a few days), although part of this may be due to the worry leading up to the MRI. I cough up thick, yellow/green mucus in the early hours of the morning. Very occasionally there have been tiny traces of blood in the mucus.

I feel weak and while I can swallow the muscle on the right side bulges when I do so. I have had chronic neck pain and stiffness, especially on the right side, for several months. 

My wife had a recent pap smear that came back showing she carries HPV.

I am going in to see the doctor as soon as the clinic opens today and I have a few questions for this group, if you would be kind enough to share some of your knowledge.

Is there a test that can be done immediately to diagnose whether or not I have HPV-positive throat cancer?

Also, does anyone have an idea at what stage of HPV-positive symptoms such as mine might theoretically present themselves?

Finally, although I earn a reasonable salary, as a contractor I do not have company health insurance. Stupidly, I declined to take our personal health cover. If anyone has any further advice they could share I would be very grateful.

Martin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

  • KTeacher
    KTeacher Member Posts: 1,103
    #2
    First

    it is not cancer until a biopsy confirms it.  Mucus sounds like you might have an infection.  I would ask for a culture of the mucus.  I don't know about an HPV test, most have been confirmed by biopsy reports.  Who are you seeing for this?  You might get a copy of your MRI and send it to a Comprehensive Cancer Center and see if they would want to consult with you.  Best wishes for an infection.  Being abi-normal, I am always happy for 'just' and infection over cancer.

  • mrog1
    mrog1 Member Posts: 2
    #3
    KTeacher said:

    First

    it is not cancer until a biopsy confirms it.  Mucus sounds like you might have an infection.  I would ask for a culture of the mucus.  I don't know about an HPV test, most have been confirmed by biopsy reports.  Who are you seeing for this?  You might get a copy of your MRI and send it to a Comprehensive Cancer Center and see if they would want to consult with you.  Best wishes for an infection.  Being abi-normal, I am always happy for 'just' and infection over cancer.

    Many thanks

    Thank you very much for your kind words. I am about to head to the doctor now. Best wishes and thanks again.

  • MarineE5
    MarineE5 Member Posts: 1,030 Member
    #4
    Get a Biopsy

    Martin,

    I found a lump under my jaw line years ago. I had a biopsy done to find out if it was cancer or not. That would be the best way to find out for sure. Unfortunately, I had Tongue cancer, the lymphnodes are our filter system, so if you have a swollen lymphnode, the best place to find out what is going on is to check that node out.

    My Best to You and Everyone Here

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,722 Member
    #5
    one step at a time

     

    Martin,

    Welcome to the H&N forum, sorry you are here, but lumps are (sometimes) us.

    The lump on the left side of my neck was painless as was my body from top to bottom.

    I did not wait around at all and visited my local ENT where he stuck a needle in the lump and I was off and sailing.  Not quite that fast, but all tests (and surgery) confirmed it was cancer.

    You haven’t been diagnosed yet, it may be nothing.

    The hpv thing comes after they confirm cancer, so relax and wait, it may be nothing.

    Good luck,

    Matt

     

  • Goyca
    Goyca Member Posts: 220
    #6
    Hello Martin ... Stay

    Hello Martin ... Stay positive, nothing is confirmed yet. I'm sorry I don't know much about hpv! But definitely a biopsy is a good step to take.. Take it easy and best of luck. Keep us updated.

     

    Goyca.

  • Laralyn
    Laralyn Member Posts: 532
    #7
    Welcome, and hopefully you

    Welcome, and hopefully you won't be around for long because you'll find out it isn't cancer. ;-)

    The first step is to be persistent with your doctors, or try a different doctor if you need to. A lump in your neck that doesn't resolve itself, especially with the other symptoms, usually leads to antibiotics. If those don't clear it up, then they do a biopsy.

    Are there symptoms for HPV+ throat cancer? I didn't think there really were any beyond any swollen lymph nodes, until the cancer is far enough along that it's pretty obvious. That's why so many folks with it are Stage IV--there is no great way to detect it early right now. The fact that you have those symtoms actually makes it sound like there is another cause (like an infection).

    Stick with it, and keep pressing until it clears up or you get a diagnosis. But don't start worrying yet about HPV+ throat cancer. As much as it's rising in frequency, it's still pretty rare!

  • wmc
    wmc Member Posts: 1,804
    #8
    Welcome to the H&N Group

    Let me first say Welcome, and sorry you feel you need to be here. When you have a lot of coughing or just a few hard ones, you can pop one of the many and very small blood vesels in your trach. Now for your mucus being yellow or green, you most likely have an infection and will need antibotics. With my emphysema I have to keep antibotics and steriods on hand all the time. So the first sign my mucus changes color to yellow or green I have to take them ASAP. Oh, that is most likely why your gland in the neck is swollen is it is fighting the infection. I would see an ENT if you haven't yet. Having the MRI and xrays is good to find out what it might be. Many things have these symtons but it is good to have it checked and stay on top of this like you are. Now for the best part. It's not cancer until a doctor says it is. The weight loss is mosy likely from the worry and being hard to swollow. I went from 155lbs to 127lbs right before surgery. Best of luck and will keep you in our prayers. I do agree with the others and think you'll be fine. Please let us know how the tests go.

    Bill

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #9
    Martin....I'm falling in line

    with the other folks here.  "It ain't cancer till somebody in the know says it is".....Lymph node swelling is usually a sign of infection somewhere in the body, and the vast majority of us who had a lump in our neck went through a course of antibiotics before we ever got sent to an ENT. 

    When they did the MRI, did they also scan your neck (it's so close to one's head, I'm wondering if they decided to scan that node along with the brain) and so easy to do since you were already on the table?

    Yellow/green mucous suggests an infection....like maybe in the sinuses and like KT says, maybe a culture of that needs to be done.  One way or another, I'd get myself to an ENT.  They are proficient in all things snotty Smile....plus they are proficient in lymph nodes in the neck.  You've been traveling in places where some infectious diseases aren't the same as what a Dr. here might expect to see.  Maybe you picked up a foreign bug. 

    As for insurance, I don't think it's ever too late to sign up for Obamacare.....it's the law, anyway.....so you're supposed to have insurance to comply. 

    Hopefully, joining our little club will not be necessary at all.....but the first thing I'd do on Monday morning is find an ENT and make an appointment.

    p

  • Guzzle
    Guzzle Member Posts: 710
    #10
    phrannie51 said:

    Martin....I'm falling in line

    with the other folks here.  "It ain't cancer till somebody in the know says it is".....Lymph node swelling is usually a sign of infection somewhere in the body, and the vast majority of us who had a lump in our neck went through a course of antibiotics before we ever got sent to an ENT. 

    When they did the MRI, did they also scan your neck (it's so close to one's head, I'm wondering if they decided to scan that node along with the brain) and so easy to do since you were already on the table?

    Yellow/green mucous suggests an infection....like maybe in the sinuses and like KT says, maybe a culture of that needs to be done.  One way or another, I'd get myself to an ENT.  They are proficient in all things snotty Smile....plus they are proficient in lymph nodes in the neck.  You've been traveling in places where some infectious diseases aren't the same as what a Dr. here might expect to see.  Maybe you picked up a foreign bug. 

    As for insurance, I don't think it's ever too late to sign up for Obamacare.....it's the law, anyway.....so you're supposed to have insurance to comply. 

    Hopefully, joining our little club will not be necessary at all.....but the first thing I'd do on Monday morning is find an ENT and make an appointment.

    p

    From Liverpool

    Martin, I had tonsil cancer. No symptoms at all. On balance it sounds like a nasty infection mate. Good luck. Gary.

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