Lump behind ear of my child + other symptoms

Hi there,

I guess im turning here to see if anyone has experienced anything similar and the outcome.

My 6 year old has a lump behind her ear, its hard, doesnt move and is painless. However shes also become very tired alot of the time, has become quite pale and with dark circles around her eyes most of the time too. Shes also complained of pains in her right side down to her hip. She has no temperature but she does become clammy but then tell us that shes cold. Other family members are also commenting on how pale she is.

She saw a GP a few days ago who consulted with a paediatric specialist as she was unsure how to proceed but also concerned at the same time. They advised kids are prone to lumps behind their ears and to basically keep an eye on it. The GP also booked us back in for in 2 weeks time to see how she is after the christmas break. My daughter has a massive fear of the doctors and physically shakes when there, so they are trying to avoid the stress of a blood test for her too if its not needed. They dont want to put her through any unnecessary trauma, but at the same time, they dont want them to miss anything either. Which is great that they are keeping tabs. 

I also told the doctor Im aware that her other symptoms could also be due to other things like being ready to break up from school, or growing pains etc so im not blind to that either. But it also doesnt stop the worry im feeling. 

Any advice or past experiences would be great to hear. 

Thanks in advance

  • Hello Charley1234, 

    It is always a bit of a worry to see a lump on a little one and you did well to flag this with your GP as well as the other symptoms you are concerned about. It's difficult sometimes to know what to do when it comes to children who are anxious about having medical tests and I can understand why the doctors would want to avoid putting them through the stress of having a blood test but it's also good that they are keeping a close eye on it and are monitoring the situation. I am glad you will get to see the GP again in 2 weeks' time and that they will see how she is after the Christmas break and it's great that they want to make sure they are not missing anything. 

    It's normal to be worried and I hope that you will hear from the experiences of others who have been in a similar place before and that they will share their story with you. I think it's a good idea to follow the doctor's advice but if you notice anything unusual and feel you want your little girl to be seen before that appointment, don't hesitate to contact them and flag anything you are concerned about. 

    Keeping everything crossed for you that it all turns out to be nothing of concern, that your little one feels better soon and you get some definite answers. 

    Best wishes, 

    Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator