Crystal’s salivary gland cancer story: When ‘nothing to worry about’ isn’t enough

Crystal Hall was in her early 30s when she noticed a bump way on the back of her tongue. It wasn't painful, but she brought it up with her ENT (ear, nose and throat doctor, also called an otolaryngologist) when she went for a routine checkup. He told her it looked like a fluid-filled cyst and was nothing to worry about.

A registered nurse who lives near Harrisburg, PA, Hall had a friend around the same age who had recently been diagnosed with cancer. She decided to seek another opinion. A second ENT told her it was just a cyst, she was young and healthy, nothing to worry about.

Something to worry about

But over the years, the bump kept growing. She asked about having it biopsied, but her doctor resisted. When Hall was scheduled to undergo a turbinate reduction, a procedure to reduce the size of the small structures inside your nose to make it easier to breathe, they decided to remove the cyst on her tongue as well. The subsequent biopsy showed that it was cancer.

"Because they removed it as a cyst and not as cancer, the borders weren't clear," Hall says. "They wanted to go in and remove more tissue, but I felt like they didn't really have a plan. I decided to seek another opinion at an academic medical center."

Second, third and fourth opinions

Hall consulted specialists at two academic medical centers, including a specialist from UCLA, who did additional biopsies and testing. She got very different — and confusing — options and recommendations. One felt the cancer had spread and recommended chemotherapy and radiation rather than surgery. Then that biopsy came back negative, and the recommendation was to monitor it without additional treatment.

"I remember just crying," she says. "I thought the worst, that the cancer would just take over. I didn't really have answers on how I should proceed. So I did a lot of research and looked at reviews. I found Dr. Bhojwani and decided to give him a try. When I went to him, it felt like night and day."

Dr. Bhojwani's plan for the salivary gland tumor

Hall consulted Main Line Health surgical oncologist Amit Bhojwani, DO, FACS, who also did a biopsy. It too was negative.

"We couldn't perform a biopsy on the tumor because it had been removed incompletely and it wasn't apparent on exam, even in the operating room (OR)," Dr. Bhojwani says. "When we're checking the area around where the tumor used to be, it's easy to miss specific spots where cancer might be growing. In Crystal's case, she had a rare tumor involving the minor salivary gland, so it was difficult to detect."

Several hundred minor salivary glands exist under the lining of a person's lips and tongue; in the roof of the mouth; and inside the cheeks, nose, sinuses and larynx (voice box). These glands are too small to see without a microscope.

Because Hall's previous clinicians had removed most of her tumor when they thought it was just a cyst, her Main Line Health care team needed a new plan to find any remaining cancer cells. They decided to do a larger surface biopsy, which Dr. Bhojwani did robotically with the da Vinci robotic platform.

He took the sample to the lab for immediate tissue sampling while Hall was asleep in the OR. When it came back positive for cancer, Dr. Bhojwani then took more tissue to remove all of it.

Going the extra mile

"I really appreciated how he was willing to go out of the way and do everything he could to help me," Hall says. "It really wasn't sitting well with me to do nothing but just watch it grow."

Hall was age 40 when she had her surgery in early 2026. Six months later, she feels great, with no residual side effects. She is back to her full life as a home health nurse, massage therapist and mom to her young daughter.

A promising future without salivary gland cancer

"When this happened, I was a busy mom and nurse, and in school to be a massage therapist. My husband was also dealing with serious health issues. I was really worried my daughter wouldn't have parents.

"The biggest thing is having the knowledge and the care. Sometimes you have doctors with a bunch of knowledge, but then maybe not so much at the bedside," Hall says. "But when you have someone that encompasses all of that like Dr. Bhojwani, you just can't do any better."

Next steps

If something doesn't feel right, or you just want peace of mind, getting checked is a great first step.

At Main Line Health, our ENT specialists and cancer care teams work together to:

• Evaluate symptoms
• Provide expert diagnosis
• Create personalized care plans

Getting answers early can make all the difference.

Make an appointment with Amit Bhojwani, DO, FACS.

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