Unsure about lump on the back

I have a very painful lump on my upper back, near my spinal cord, that has been increasing in size and causing significant discomfort. At night, sleeping is difficult because the lump presses against the mattress. I visited my GP, who referred me for an ultrasound at the hospital. During the ultrasound, the technician was unsure about the findings, so they called in a senior specialist for a second opinion. The senior doctor explained that they couldn’t determine what the lump is but mentioned that, in most cases, it could be trapped hair or sebum. I asked whether it could be removed and biopsied, but I was informed that it is 7 mm in size, and biopsies are generally only performed on lumps that are over 1 cm. The senior doctor advised that my GP should handle the removal. However, when I consulted my GP again, I was told that they typically don’t remove lipomas or perform biopsies on them, and that I should seek private healthcare for this. My concern stems from a past experience—I previously had an enchondroma in my thumb, and there was initial worry that it could be osteosarcoma. As a precaution, I underwent surgery and a biopsy, which confirmed that it was benign. Given this history, I am now worried that my current lump might be liposarcoma or another form of soft tissue sarcoma.What should I do please?

  • Hello and thanks for posting

    I'm sorry you are worried about a lump on your back.

    You mention you recently had an ultrasound scan on the lump. Most lumps are usually harmless and some turn out to be harmless lipomas where as sarcomas are very rare. But I appreciate it's difficult when you get conflicting opinions from the hospital doctor and your GP in how the lump should be managed. Usually, the hospital doctor would write to your GP explaining their findings and advise them if anything else needs to be done.

    All we can really advise you to do is to go back and see your GP again. You may find it helpful to say to your doctor that you are worried about having sarcoma and see what their advice is. You can ask how long you should wait to see if the lump changes or grows. It is useful to do this as it does put the onus on the doctor to see you again if things do not improve.

    The Patient's Association has some useful information on how to make the most out of a GP appointment which I hope will be helpful.

    I hope this is of some help. Please get back to us if you need any more information or support.  You may find it helpful to talk things through with one of the nurses on our helpline.  The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.

    Kind regards,

    Celene