Published Jul 7, 2024

55-Year-Old Hair Stylist’s Strange Swallowing Symptom & Lump On Her Neck Turned Out To Be Rare Cancer: ‘It Went From Zero To a Hundred Real Fast’

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Advocating for Your Health

A 55-year-old hairstylist and mom of two, Donna Harper, was diagnosed with a rare type of head and neck cancer called nasopharyngeal carcinoma after experiencing symptoms, including a strange feeling when swallowing, numbness, and a lump on her neck.
Thankfully, Harper sought medical advice when she felt the bump on the back of her neck, which prompted her to get biopsies and receive her diagnosis on May 14.
She has seen been accepted into a clinical trial for advanced cancers and is still working to fight off the disease.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) describes as form of head and neck cancer that develops in the tissues of the nasopharynx, the upper part of the pharynx, located behind the nose.
Advocating for your health is extremely important. You never know when speaking up about issues with your body can make a world of difference for health outcomes. One of our experts says there should be a plan for what the doctor will do for you after you leave every appointment.

Donna Harper, a 55-year-old hairstylist from Ontario, Canada, has recounted how quickly she was diagnosed with a rare type of head and neck cancer after finding an unusual lump on the back of her neck.

In a recent interview with Yahoo Canada, Harper, a single mom of two, said, “I went to the doctor, and a few days later, they performed a biopsy on the lump. Forty-eight hours later, I was told I have cancer. It went from zero to a hundred really fast.”

Harper, who noticed some unusual symptoms—ringing in the eat, a strange feeling when swallowing, and numbness in the back of her head—leading up to the discovery of the lump, was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) describes as form of head and neck cancer that develops in the tissues of the nasopharynx, the upper part of the pharynx, located behind the nose.

Donna Harper is pictured with her two children, Matthew and Sarah (@mattyoxxy/Instagram)

Harper, whose sister battled osteosarcoma [a type of bone cancer] as a child, recounted initially thinking her symptoms were due to “a virus,” telling Yahoo Canada that the first thing she noticed was a painless “ringing” behind her right ear in last October.

“I was having a little trouble in the throat, like an awareness when I was swallowing… it’s hard to describe. I talked to my doctor, and they ordered an ultrasound, which came back clear. I just thought maybe it’s like a virus,” she explained.

It wasn’t until she was on vacation in November when the ringing in her ear worsened, prompting her to get a second ultrasound when she got home—only for it to come back with not concerns.

Harper continued, “All of December, I was worried but didn’t know what to do. What pushed me was the symptoms of ‘awareness.’ There was an off feeling about swallowing at the back of my neck, my ears were ringing a little bit.

“Then I started getting numbness on the back of my head behind my right ear.”

She ultimately found the lump behind her head in April, which accelerated her diagnosis.

After finding the lump, she had a biopsy done on her lymph node and another on her throat, followed by a positron emission tomography (PET) scan.

Harper was diagnosed with the rare type of nasopharyngeal carcinoma on May 14, and soon after was accepted into a clinical trial for advanced cancers.

Additionally, her doctors advised her to try an aggressive treatment call Cisplatin, but she stopped treatment when the first dose compromised her kidney and liver function.

Meanwhile, in a recent update shared on a GoFundMe made for Harper, her sister writes, “She had a rough go with the double dose of Chemo. Her kidneys and liver levels were not great, so they decided to pull her from the trial and put her on a regular dose once a week.

“Donna also had a GI tube put in to help keep her weight up. She stayed in hospital a few nights as she was in a lot of pain and they wanted to make sure she was comfortable before letting her go home. She is feeling much better this week thank goodness!”

Her sister and cancer survivor, Lisa Poshni, continued, “Although she gets a little tired she is doing well and staying very positive. She continues to light up every room she’s in with her sparkly personality and beautiful smile. … We cannot begin to thank you all enough for your generous donations. Donna doesn’t know what she would have done without them.

“Between medication, gas, parking, groceries and other bills; it has quickly added up every week. Your support has been such a huge relief during her treatment. Please continue to keep Donna in your thoughts and prayers while her fight continues to kick this thing to the curb.”

As Harper continues on her cancer journey, although she is still working on accepting her diagnosis, she insists her family has been an “incredible” support system through adversity.

She told Yahoo Canada, “My big takeaway from this experience is that I’m allowing myself to be helped, to sit back, be present, and be with my loved ones.

“I strived to be at the top of my job, provide for my kids, and work harder to make more money. But I wasn’t present. I was so busy trying to own it that I didn’t see I wasn’t living in the moment. This was a big stop, a huge stop. The cancer diagnosis has given me this huge gift of understanding what’s important in life.”

Understanding Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma – A Type of Head & Neck Cancer

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) nasopharyngeal cancer is a type of head and neck cancer that develops in the tissues of the nasopharynx.

The NCI explains that the pharynx is “a hollow tube in the neck about 5 inches long that is made up of three parts.”

The three parts are the upper part of the pharynx, known as the nasopharynx, which is the located behind the nose. “The nostrils are connected to the nasopharynx. Openings on each side of the nasopharynx lead to the ears,” the NCI adds.

The middle part, which is under the nasopharynx, is the oropharynx. And the lowest part of the pharynx is called the hypopharynx, which opens up to the trachea (windpipe) and esophagus.

“When we breathe or swallow, the pharynx acts as a passageway for air to reach the lungs and food to reach the stomach. Nasopharyngeal cancer commonly begins in the squamous cells that line the nasopharynx,” the NCI says.

Symptoms of this type of cancer may include difficulty speaking, breathing, or hearing, however signs and symptoms can vary depending on the person.

Other symptoms may include:

a lump in the neck
pain, pulsing, or ringing in the ear
trouble hearing
a sore throat
stuffy nose
nosebleeds

Symptoms of this nasopharyngeal cancer in an advanced state may consist of:

misalignment of the eyes (strabismus)
double vision
headaches
facial numbness
facial weakness

“Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is diagnosed by biopsy of the tumor, which is often performed in clinic with a use of a small endoscope. This allows the head and neck surgeon to visualize the tumor and its extent,” according to John Hopkins Medicine.

“Imaging techniques (MRI and/or CT scan) may also help determine the extent of the tumor. Testing of the tumor for EBV is also recommended.”

Advocating for Your Health

Whether you are currently battling cancer or worried that you might have it, it’s always important to advocate for your health. Cancer is an incredibly serious disease, and you have every right to insist that your doctors investigate any possible signs of cancer. Or, if you simply have no idea what’s causing issues with your body, you should still seek professional help.

Be Pushy, Be Your Own Advocate, Don’t Settle

“Every appointment you leave as a patient, there should be a plan for what the doc is going to do for you, and if that doesn’t work, what the next plan is,” Dr. Zuri Murell, director of the Cedars-Sinai Colorectal Cancer Center, told SurvivorNet in a previous interview.

“And I think that that’s totally fair. And me as a health professional that’s what I do for all of my patients.”

In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, April Knowles explained how she became a breast cancer advocate after her doctor dismissed the lump in her breast as a side effect of her menstrual period. Unfortunately, that dismissal was a mistake.

Knowles was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer at age 39. She said the experience taught her the importance of listening to her body and speaking up when something doesn’t feel right.

I Wanted My Doctor To Like Me, Then He Missed My Breast Cancer

“I wanted my doctor to like me,” she said. “I think women, especially young women, are really used to being dismissed by their doctors.”

Figuring out whether or not you actually have cancer based on possible symptoms is critical because early detection may help with treatment and outcomes. Seeking multiple opinions is one way to ensure you’re getting the care and attention you need.

One thing to remember is that not all doctors are in agreement. Recommendations for further testing or treatment options can vary, and sometimes it’s essential to talk with multiple medical professionals.