Tonsil biopsy

Need2know
Need2know Member Posts: 4
edited July 2015 in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Hi,

I have a biopsy scheduled for late August for what the ent thinks is a regrown left tonsil but isn't quite positive. I was wondering if you could share your experience with having one? Everything that happened during and after? This will be an office procedure. 

 

Thanks. 

Comments

  • wmc
    wmc Member Posts: 1,804
    #2
    Welcome to the H&N Group

    Let me say WELCOME, and I can't help as I still have all my tonsils. Been threaten for fifty years they were going to remove them and even with my surgery, I still have all five of them. The biopsy will be very simple. They will spray a nunbing spray and just take a small sample to check. They will not even offer Ice cream like when they remove them. [LOL] There are others that can explain it better as they have had it done. Now the good news is, it is most likely nothing to really be concerned or they would have it done much sooner, so take a big breath and slowley let it out. You should be just fine, but we will always be here for you and any questions you might have. If you have any for your doctor, please write them down and leave room for answers and hand it to the doctor. Mine even wrote the answers down for me as he explained them. I have read that they can regrow back. Please if you do get concerned or nervice just come here and wright it down, as of now you will not be alown with this. Take care.........

    Bill

  • Need2know
    Need2know Member Posts: 4
    #3
    wmc said:

    Welcome to the H&N Group

    Let me say WELCOME, and I can't help as I still have all my tonsils. Been threaten for fifty years they were going to remove them and even with my surgery, I still have all five of them. The biopsy will be very simple. They will spray a nunbing spray and just take a small sample to check. They will not even offer Ice cream like when they remove them. [LOL] There are others that can explain it better as they have had it done. Now the good news is, it is most likely nothing to really be concerned or they would have it done much sooner, so take a big breath and slowley let it out. You should be just fine, but we will always be here for you and any questions you might have. If you have any for your doctor, please write them down and leave room for answers and hand it to the doctor. Mine even wrote the answers down for me as he explained them. I have read that they can regrow back. Please if you do get concerned or nervice just come here and wright it down, as of now you will not be alown with this. Take care.........

    Bill

    Thank you! I already had a ct

    Thank you! I already had a ct and it only showed mildly enlarged and increased number of cervical lymph nodes. But nothing other than that. And nobody seems concerned about the nodes. The ent doesn't seem concerned about this growth either. Its contstantly changing and growing. I've heard that's a good thing and I've heard it's a bad thing. So I'm not sure what to think! I would have liked the biopsy sooner but he's going on vacation. 

     

    I do have a picture of the growth if you want to see. Doesn't that just sound odd? Lol ...I know nobody will be able to diagnose it but opinions would be helpful. 

  • bebo12249
    bebo12249 Member Posts: 181 Member
    #4
    Just saw your post. I had a

     

    Just saw your post. I had a tonsil biopsy recently. Just a snip of the gland, very little pain.  They may have sprayed lidocaine on the tonsil first. After that, the sample was sent to pathology and a report was available in about 3-4 days. Mine came back positive, I had a tonsillectomy and will start chemo/rad next week. But the biopsy of the tonsil was not bad at all. Is this what you were asking?? bill

     

  • wmc
    wmc Member Posts: 1,804
    #5
    Need2know said:

    Thank you! I already had a ct

    Thank you! I already had a ct and it only showed mildly enlarged and increased number of cervical lymph nodes. But nothing other than that. And nobody seems concerned about the nodes. The ent doesn't seem concerned about this growth either. Its contstantly changing and growing. I've heard that's a good thing and I've heard it's a bad thing. So I'm not sure what to think! I would have liked the biopsy sooner but he's going on vacation. 

     

    I do have a picture of the growth if you want to see. Doesn't that just sound odd? Lol ...I know nobody will be able to diagnose it but opinions would be helpful. 

    Not sure

    Options are get a second opnion which will take a referral and most likely 4 weeks.  Lymph glands can get inlarged if you have infection or your body is fighting something. I think that IF he thought it was something to be concerned about he would have done the biopsy and not wait until after his vacation. If it something to be concerned with it takes time for it to grow. Thet estamate it took mine over a year to get to 3cc, SCC tumors most often grow slow. If you are that concerned call and try to get a referral but you will be looking end of Sept for that biopsy.

    Bill

  • Need2know
    Need2know Member Posts: 4
    #6
    bebo12249 said:

    Just saw your post. I had a

     

    Just saw your post. I had a tonsil biopsy recently. Just a snip of the gland, very little pain.  They may have sprayed lidocaine on the tonsil first. After that, the sample was sent to pathology and a report was available in about 3-4 days. Mine came back positive, I had a tonsillectomy and will start chemo/rad next week. But the biopsy of the tonsil was not bad at all. Is this what you were asking?? bill

     

    Yes

    And thank you! I'm so sorry you did not get good news. Did you have any symptoms and did your doc know right away when looking at it? You will be in my prayers!

     

    I decided just to wait. It will be done this coming tuesday. He wasn't worried when he looked at it so it did ease my mind. 

  • bebo12249
    bebo12249 Member Posts: 181 Member
    #7
    Need2know said:

    Yes

    And thank you! I'm so sorry you did not get good news. Did you have any symptoms and did your doc know right away when looking at it? You will be in my prayers!

     

    I decided just to wait. It will be done this coming tuesday. He wasn't worried when he looked at it so it did ease my mind. 

    I had only an enlarged lymph

    I had only an enlarged lymph node. My family doc gave me antibotics on Tuesday and said if it's not better by Monday, go to an ENT. On Monday my ENT noticed an enlarge tonsil also and did a biospy of both the node and tonsil. My only symptom was the enlarged node and, no he could'nt tell by looking, just by the resulting pathology report. Best of luck.

  • Need2know
    Need2know Member Posts: 4
    #8
    bebo12249 said:

    I had only an enlarged lymph

    I had only an enlarged lymph node. My family doc gave me antibotics on Tuesday and said if it's not better by Monday, go to an ENT. On Monday my ENT noticed an enlarge tonsil also and did a biospy of both the node and tonsil. My only symptom was the enlarged node and, no he could'nt tell by looking, just by the resulting pathology report. Best of luck.

    Did you happen to look at it

    Did you happen to look at it after the biopsy? If so, how did it look?

  • bebo12249
    bebo12249 Member Posts: 181 Member
    #9
    Need2know said:

    Did you happen to look at it

    Did you happen to look at it after the biopsy? If so, how did it look?

    No, didn't look between

    No, didn't look between biospy and removal.

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