Tonsil Cancer: Signs and Symptoms

Tonsil cancer is the most common cancer of the oropharynx (the back of your throat). Several symptoms of tonsil cancer can mimic other illnesses, like the common cold or seasonal flu. That’s why knowing the early warning signs is so important.

Your symptoms can vary depending on the tumor’s location. Common signs of tonsil cancer include a swollen tonsil, persistent sores in the tonsil area, difficulty speaking (also known as hot potato voice, or speaking like you have a mouthful of hot potatoes), and swollen lymph glands—usually on one side of the neck.

Pharyngitis, more commonly known as a sore throat, is swelling of the back of the throat between the tonsils and the larynx (voice box).

Many things can cause a sore throat, but air pollution, viral infections, or bacterial infections most often cause it. Most sore throats resolve within a few days once the infection or irritant clears. If your sore throat lasts more than a few days, it is considered persistent (long-lasting).

A tonsil tumor can constantly irritate your throat, causing soreness.

An earache, also called otalgia, can present as a dull, sharp, or burning feeling in your ear. The pain may come and go or last only a short time. It can be on the outside or inside of your ear.

In adults, an earache is usually caused by something affecting an area near your ear, such as your jaw, teeth, or throat. If you have tonsil cancer, a tumor can press into structures in or near your ear, causing pain.

Dysphonia, or hoarseness, occurs when something changes the quality of your voice. Your voice may sound raspy, weak, scratchy, breathy, husky, or higher or lower pitch.

Swollen vocal cords cannot vibrate properly. This can change the sound of your voice, sometimes causing hoarseness.

Most lumps in your neck occur due to enlarged lymph nodes (small, round organs that are part of your immune system).

Your tonsils are lymph nodes at the back of your throat. They play a significant role in your immune system by physically stopping germs from entering your nose and mouth and storing cells that fight infections.

Your tonsils can easily become infected or inflamed because they’re on the frontline of your immune system. That lump you feel in your neck could be a swollen lymph node or a tumor. Cancer cells can also spread to your tonsils from other areas of your body.

Tonsil cancer symptoms can vary by person, and many can be symptoms of other head and neck cancers. Other tonsil cancer symptoms include:

• Pain when swallowing
• Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)
• Unexplained weight loss

If your tumor interferes with your ability to swallow, you might not eat as much as you usually would. Reducing the amount of calories you consume can lead to weight loss.

Tonsil cancer takes many months to develop, so you may not have symptoms immediately. Many symptoms also resemble an infection or a different head and neck cancer. Only a healthcare provider can diagnose your condition.

Here are some recommendations for when to contact a healthcare provider:

• Persistent throat: Most sore throats improve in 5-10 days. A sore throat is considered persistent if it lasts longer than five days and is not associated with an unavoidable irritant like air pollution or allergies.
• Earache: An earache should improve within 24-48 hours. Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you develop other symptoms of an infection or your earache suddenly stops—which can happen if you rupture your eardrum.
• Lump: If an infection causes a lump in your throat or neck, it should go away when your infection clears. Contact your healthcare provider if your lump does not disappear in 2-3 weeks.

You should also reach out to your healthcare provider if:

• Your hoarseness lasts more than 2-3 weeks or worsens, which could indicate laryngeal (larynx) cancer
• You suddenly have difficulty breathing or swallowing
• You develop other symptoms of illness, like fever, dizziness, nausea, or headache

Tonsil cancer is the most common type of cancer of the back of the throat. It can go unnoticed because it takes many months to develop symptoms.

Common symptoms are a persistent sore throat, earache, hoarseness, and a lump in the throat or neck. These symptoms can also occur with viral and bacterial infections of the head.

If symptoms do not resolve when your infection clears, contact your healthcare provider.