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The isolated symptom of unilateral tonsillar enlargement has limited value in adults with a suspected head and neck cancer pathway

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 December 2022

K L Lau Open the ORCID record for K L Lau [Opens in a new window] ,
A Rajgor ,
A Muzammil ,
R Scurrah ,
H Cocks  and
N Oozeer
K L Lau*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Sunderland Royal Hospital, UK
A Rajgor
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Sunderland Royal Hospital, UK National Institute for Health Research, London, UK Applied Cancer Therapeutics and Outcomes, Newcastle University, UK
A Muzammil
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Sunderland Royal Hospital, UK
R Scurrah
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Sunderland Royal Hospital, UK
H Cocks
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Sunderland Royal Hospital, UK
N Oozeer
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Sunderland Royal Hospital, UK
*
Author for correspondence: Dr K L Lau, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Sunderland Royal Hospital, Kayll Road, Sunderland SR4 7TP, UK E-mail: kennylau@doctors.org.uk
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Abstract

Objective

Given the uncertainty regarding the predictive value of unilateral tonsillar enlargement and/or lesion in malignancies, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of unilateral tonsillar enlargement and/or lesion referral criterion in the adult suspected head and neck cancer pathway.

Methods

All two-week wait referrals received in 2018–2019 were reviewed. All patients referred with unilateral tonsillar enlargement and/or lesion were included and analysed for patient demographic data, presenting symptoms, initial clinic outcomes and final diagnoses.

Results

A total of 4934 urgent head and neck cancer referrals were analysed, and 1.9 per cent of these had unilateral tonsillar enlargement and/or lesion. Only 10 patients were diagnosed with tonsil cancer. All the positive tonsil cancer cases had at least one additional head and neck red flag symptom.

Conclusion

The referral criterion for unilateral tonsillar enlargement and/or lesion may be of limited benefit in an already economically challenged National Health Service. Further multicentre studies should be undertaken to refine conclusions on the value of unilateral tonsillar enlargement and/or lesion alone as a criterion for the head and neck cancer two-week wait pathway.

Keywords

Head And Neck NeoplasmsTonsillar Neoplasms
Type
Main Article
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 137 , Issue 8 , August 2023 , pp. 902 - 905
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of J.L.O. (1984) LIMITED

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Footnotes

Dr K L Lau and Mr A Rajgor take responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper

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