Surgically speaking, when one tonsil goes, the other typically goes too due to a concern for synchronous primary cancers. But is this firmly grounded in data? Here is a look at outcomes following 295 ipsilateral tonsillectomies for unilateral tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma at U Penn. At a median follow-up of 4 years, 3 (1%) developed a second head and neck primary cancer and 1 (0.3%) in the contralateral tonsil. Disease-free (84%) and overall (90%) survival outcomes at 5 years were on par with those historically achieved with bilateral tonsillectomies. | Parhar, Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2024
