Swollen Lymph Node

This morning I was brushing my teeth and noticed an almond sized lump in my neck just above my collar bone. It’s moveable, painless and I have no cold symptoms etc to indicate an infection.

I was very lucky to get a same day appointment at the GP who scheduled for bloods on Monday and depending on the results they will ether refer for further testing or we will monitor the lump for 2 weeks and if I develop any more or it grows then will further test.

I have googled and seen lymphoma mentioned, I have had weight loss and fatigue along with dizzy spells but no night sweats, itching etc. which I made my GP aware of. I have also had irregular periods which I did mention when I had my smear but it was brushed off. Along with some intermittent abdominal pain.

is anyone else similar to me and did it turn out to be cancer? I know there are soooo many other things it could be but I wish I had the answers now.

  • Hi lilac03, 

    You did the right thing to go and see your GP and it was lucky you got an appointment on the same day and I hope that you won't have to wait long for your blood results. It's really good things are moving so quickly. This is bound to be a very anxious time for you, but Googling will unfortunately make you feel even more anxious so the best thing to do is to stay well away from the temptation to look things up online as this will rarely provide answers and will only lead to more uncertainty and trigger unnecessary fear. You did well to mention all these symptoms to your GP and now it's just a waiting game - not a fun game that one! - and I hope that you will find out more soon and get some definite answers. Waiting is often described here as the hardest thing, a time when we can create completely false diagnoses in our heads, so the best thing to do really is to keep distracted and busy doing things you enjoy every day. I suggest you read our helpful tips on how to cope with waiting for news and I hope these will help you in the coming days. As you rightly said, there are so many things it could be and I hope you find out very soon. 

    You mentioned you wanted to talk to others who have been through something similar to you and I actually came across only today  's thread on swollen lymph glands in neck and chest  - this member has also been worrying about lymphoma so you may not have exactly the same thing but you will be able to understand one another so don't hesitate to respond to her thread if you wish to do so. I hope others with similar experiences will come and share their story with you. 

    I am keeping everything crossed for you that you get all your results very soon and that things improve for you and it all turns out to be nothing of concern. 

    Best wishes, 

    Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator

  • Sorry you are going through this, and my thoughts are with you. I have a swollen lymph node in my neck, but I am getting the night sweats and itching skin which is awful. My doctor booked me in the following day for bloods with the nurse, and urgently referred me to the hospital, within two days I was having a CT scan and a few days later a biopsy. I went back to the hospital on Monday thinking I would get the results but the test was inconclusive, and the biopsy has gone for further testing. However they found a nodule in my lung, so I now have to wait for those results to come back. The waiting is the hardest thing.