For several months now, I have had painless swollen tonsils. I have no swollen lymph nodes, but I do have fleeting, mild pain in my armpits, groin, neck, and under my chin. I have been on several rounds of antibiotics and they have had no effect. I have been tested for strep and it was negative. I have had strep several times in my life but that was always painful. I have read a couple places that swollen tonsils could be an early symptom of lymphoma. Does anyone know anything about this? If this could be an early symptom, does anyone know how long lymphoma will lay dormant before other symptoms usually occur?

Thanks,
Getting worried

For several months now, I have had painless swollen tonsils. I have no swollen lymph nodes, but I do have fleeting, mild pain in my armpits, groin, neck, and under my chin. I have been on several rounds of antibiotics and they have had no effect. I have been tested for strep and it was negative. I have had strep several times in my life but that was always painful. I have read a couple places that swollen tonsils could be an early symptom of lymphoma. Does anyone know anything about this? If this could be an early symptom, does anyone know how long lymphoma will lay dormant before other symptoms usually occur?

Thanks,
Getting worried
Indolent Lymphoma can be present for up to 15 years without symptoms that would send any one to the doctor. However, most young people who get lymphoma, have aggressive types that have fairly severe symptoms early on, of fevers, itching, night sweats, rashes, stomach pain, diarrhea, severe enough to see the doctor and for the doctor to recognize the severity. Most often the flu symptoms that do not let up, sends them to the doctor. Most people get over the ordinary severe flu symptoms in 3 days, and then have annoying symptoms for maybe another week or two, but the aggressive lymphoma, may have severe symptoms resembling flu that do not let up in 3 days and are more than annoying. There are countless stories that are told about going to the doctor for one illness and coming home diagnosed with lymphoma of some kind. It is a mysterious disease that is getting more common due to AIDS and environmental exposures to toxins.

It is going on 5 months with this swollen tonsil. I saw an ENT last week and he told me that I should get the tonsil removed. I am scheduled to get it taken out in about a month. He did very little to settle my fears of either lymphoma or throat cancer. Does anyone know how long a person could have this type of symptom, actually have cancer, and not feel any other symptom? Also, is it a good assumption that if the ENT is waiting a month to remove the tonsils, he is not overly concerned that it may be cancerous?

Thanks to anyone to posts a reply. This board is one the few things keeping me sane.

How swollen is your tonsil? I have had a slightly swollen tonsil since December. The ENT said that my "normal" sized tonsil would be considered a "1", and the enlarged one would be a "1.5". He is telling me that he is 99% sure that it is not lymphoma. He said that normally, it would be much larger. I am going back to see him every 2 months to keep an eye on it. He offered to remove it if I was going to have trouble continuing a normal life because of worry, but I am trying to be brave and not have unnecessary surgery. I can feel two of my lymph nodes in my neck, but the doctor said they were normal sized lymphs. Because I was so worried, he sent me for a CT scan to set my mind at ease, and that came back ok.