08/06/2026
Read about John Dearnaley and his journey with tonsil cancer in his own words.
How did your treatment journey lead you to Penn Medicine?
I went to my primary care doctor in March 2021 with a nagging sore throat that seemed to intensify over the course of a few months. Originally, they thought it was tonsilitis, and after a few unsuccessful rounds of antibiotics, I was scheduled to have my tonsils removed.
After surgery, my tonsils were sent to pathology, where the results came back as squamous cell carcinoma. I was referred to Gregory Weinstein, MD, by my ENT. Dr. Weinstein did another biopsy and decided the tumors weren’t operable due to size and location, so I was then referred to John Nicholas Lukens, MD, and Lee Hartner, MD, for radiation and chemotherapy, respectively.
What was your biggest challenge during cancer treatment and into survivorship?
I think the biggest challenge for me was mental. The treatments were physically draining and uncomfortable, but the uncertainty of the future and doubt about what would happen if the treatments didn’t work were harder to deal with. I have great family and friends who were immensely helpful and supportive throughout the process.
Where are you now in your journey?
In the summer of 2021, I had 35 radiation and seven chemotherapy treatments over the course of two months. After some insurance and scheduling issues, approximately two-thirds of the radiation treatments were Proton therapy instead of standard radiation to minimize the probability of major side effects.
After treatment, I had semiannual and then eventually annual imaging done and have taken three blood tests to look for traces of the tumor DNA. At this point, it has been five years, and I am cancer-free. The treatments affected my thyroid, so I have to take a daily replacement pill, but otherwise I have few lasting side effects from the treatments.
Since 2022, I have been involved in the Breakthrough Challenge bike ride to raise funds for Penn Medicine cancer research. Riding with and getting to know patients, survivors, Penn staff, and others as part of the Beam of Life team has been a great experience and a fun way to give back.
Do you have any advice or words of wisdom for newly diagnosed patients?
I am fortunate to have an oncologist in the family who reached out to some colleagues to verify my treatment plan was the best option and offer some advice along the way. My main advice for newly diagnosed patients is to do some research into the treatment options and get second opinions where possible. I had nothing but good experiences with everyone on my care team and would encourage people to reach out whenever they need help or support during treatment. My other advice would be to take notes during appointments and write questions down as they come. There is a lot of information to process, and it can be a very emotional time, so it can be hard to take everything in.
