How worried should I be? Lumps.

Hello! Sorry for the late night post, but just wondering if I could get some insight on some things because Google isn’t proving particularly helpful, and is honestly just serving to stress me out even further. 

I have 4 firm lumps, 3 of which on my head and the 4th on my bum, all of which that have suddenly appeared and grown fairly large over the span of perhaps 4 days maximum. Not necessarily painful, but tender and tingly. Just the one lump would’ve been pretty scary for me, so to suddenly find 4 has been pretty unpleasant. 

I am, of course, quite stressed out about this but not sure if I’m overreacting or if there is something here that I should seriously be worried about. I’m booking a GP appointment first thing tomorrow, but was hoping I could perhaps get some thoughts and advice from people and hear whether or not I should be as worried as I am? 

Thank you so much for reading! I am of course not expecting anyone here to diagnose me, and apologies if I come across like that’s what I’m seeking, just in need of some advice and comfort on the matter. 

  • Hello hopefulwhisp

    I'm sorry to hear that you've had some concerns this week about a number of lumps that have popped up in different places on your body. 

    It's really difficult for anyone here to say what may have caused these but hopefully by now you've been able to arrange an appointment to see or speak with your doctor. 

    Hopefully your GP will be able to give you some reassurance soon. 

    Best wishes, 
    Jenn
    Cancer Chat moderator 

  • Hi Hopefulwhisp,

    A very warm welcome to the forum.

    I am sorry to hear about the appearance of your recent lumps and I hope that you have now managed to see your GP. This is the right thing to do. It is impossible to say whether this is serious or not. Your GP may well refer you for further investigation..

    You are right about Google. The advice given by nurses, moderators and users of this site, is usually to steer clear of consulting "Dr Google", before you know what you are dealing with. Much of the information is poorly researched, out of date and aimed solely at the more spectacular cases. This won't give you any answers and will only serve to scare you further. A biopsy is usually the accepted procedure to determine whether or not cancer is present. Not all lumps indicate anything untoward, but you are as well to check yours out. 

    You are not overreacting. The unknown is always scary and it can take a few weeks to get the results of a biopsy. This is an anxious time and the wait for answers can be really challenging. I sincerely hope that all turns out well and that nothing untoward is found.

    Please keep in touch and let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.

    Kind regards,

    Jolamine xx