One tonsil bigger than the other - doctor mentioned the C word

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I took DD age 6 to the doctor today for a routine check up (she had an operation a few weeks ago). The doctor looked in her mouth and said that one tonsil is bigger than the other, which wasn't the case a few weeks ago. She says the tonsils need to be removed immediately (within 2 weeks) because there is a small chance this kind of change could be caused by lymph cancer . She's going to phone me as soon as she's sorted out a date.

Anyone been through this?

Not been through it but didn't want to leave your thread unanswered. You must be very worried. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will come along soon.

Don't have experience of this but your doctor sounds very on the ball. Try not to panic (easier said than done!).

Just to say that the enlargement of one tonsil could have an "innocent" explanation. My DD has one tonsil which is significantly larger than the other and it has been that way now for years.

We think it originally enlarged following a strep throat infection (although she never actually had a sore throat with it) and it has just never returned to normal size. We have seen an ENT consultant who advised that if after one month it had not grown further and she was not showing any other symptoms of lymphoma, it was highly unlikely to be that, and if after 3 months there was no change or other symptoms, we should just forget about it.

I think that quite often with these situations they adopt a wait and watch approach as a tonsillectomy is something to be avoided if possible, so I'm quite surprised at your doctor's reaction, but hopefully, they are just being ultra cautious.

Good luck.

Small chance is what they say. But it's great they have taken it seriously.

When dd1 had pneumonia it was at the top of her lung which apparently is very unusual to be there. She was sent for various tests because there was a small chance that it could be caused by a

sorry, caused by a swollen lymph gland, or tumour. (It wasn't)

Because there was that small chance they rushed her in for tests, the initial tests we walked in with a letter from the GP and were seen immediately.

My 4 year old nephew had his tonsils out earlier this year for the same thing - one tonsil was like a little round golf ball. The doctors also mentioned lymph cancer, though the risks are very, very low. He was fine, fortunately.

I also think it is quite common that one tonsil is bigger than the other, so do try not to worry - but I understand how difficult that is.

Thanks all, you have really helped me to feel less worried and more positive. I have spoken to a friend who is a GP and she also says she thinks the doctor is being cautious.

DD is booked in for the op this Friday. They will then send off the tissue sample and we should hear the results about a week later.

The op went well, thank you for asking.

I hope you have had good news from the biopsy. My son had exactly the same and I spent weeks worrying after they mentioned the c word. I then spoke to a friend who is an ent surgeon who said the risk was negligible. When we saw a paediatric ent he dismissed it immediately. 3 years on he still has one massive tonsil but is fine.