Hi, I don't know if anybody is ever really on here but i'm looking for reassurance. i've just turned 18 so please go easy on me because i'm so scared at the moment!So about about late september time i felt a small lump at the bottom of my hairline on the back of my neck. it's not that big but it is kind of hard. i obviously thought to call the doctors. so i booked an appointment and the doctor felt it and told me that it was kind of hard but not solid and that he wanted to see what happened in the next 6 weeks, because it could've been an infection on the way.  

i was still very worried so i decided to request a full blood test to put my mind at ease. the results came back around a week later and my liver and kidney function was fine and so were some of the landmarks that they said they look for with most cancer so there was no real cause for concern. they did say that i had EBV at the time which was such a relief, but i got a call a few days later to say that that wasn't actually the case and it was misread. they did say that my thyroid levels were slightly raised (i have hypothyroidism-under active thyroid) and that could be due to an infection. this was verified by 2 doctors at my GP.

so nothing was that clear to me. i can't just go on like i'm fine, i'm always worrying about it. two weeks ago i booked a phone appointment with the doctor and i went through everything again and he told me that he would refer me to the hospital to get an ultrasound in the next few weeks, but to call back if i get symptoms such as weight loss, night sweats and unusual bruising. i'm still awaiting the referral letter 

the lump seems a lot more raised when i wake up in the morning and seems to calm down slightly as the day goes on, i'm holding onto this fact as i think it's a good sign but i'm not 100% sure. i haven't had any of the symptoms that they are worried about, but i'm making myself feel ill worrying all the time. 

i really hope someone can offer me some reassurance because google obviously isn't helping! 

Thank you

Hi Emily, 

Welcome and sorry for the delay in answering. I hope you are doing OK. 

What has happened so far all sounds standard, and precautionary. Doctors feel lumps all the time, and they know when it's something to worry about - there are signs they look out for, like a lump that is growing quite rapidly, or in certain locations, or with a certain consistency. So you would have been told by now if they thought it was worth getting alarmed about. 

Not hard is good, and the fact that the size seems to fluctuate is also good. Malignant masses tend not to do that.

The symptoms you have been told to report - night sweats and so on - are what are known as "B" symptoms, if I've got that right, and if you had any of them it would warrant a quicker process to rule out malignancy. So it's great if you haven't.

Ultrasound can usually distinguish between a malignant node or mass and what is called a reactive node, which is basically a node that has swollen as a result of infection or inflammation. So this ought to give you some reassurance. 

Please try not to worry too much. Small, reasonably firm nodes are really common, and the vast majority prove to be harmless. 

I know how easy it is to let the thought of it being cancer take over your thoughts, but from what you have said I really think the odds are on your side that it's nothing to worry about. 

Let us know how you get on, 

Take care, 

AK

Hi Emily, 

Welcome and sorry for the delay in answering. I hope you are doing OK. 

What has happened so far all sounds standard, and precautionary. Doctors feel lumps all the time, and they know when it's something to worry about - there are signs they look out for, like a lump that is growing quite rapidly, or in certain locations, or with a certain consistency. So you would have been told by now if they thought it was worth getting alarmed about. 

Not hard is good, and the fact that the size seems to fluctuate is also good. Malignant masses tend not to do that.

The symptoms you have been told to report - night sweats and so on - are what are known as "B" symptoms, if I've got that right, and if you had any of them it would warrant a quicker process to rule out malignancy. So it's great if you haven't.

Ultrasound can usually distinguish between a malignant node or mass and what is called a reactive node, which is basically a node that has swollen as a result of infection or inflammation. So this ought to give you some reassurance. 

Please try not to worry too much. Small, reasonably firm nodes are really common, and the vast majority prove to be harmless. 

I know how easy it is to let the thought of it being cancer take over your thoughts, but from what you have said I really think the odds are on your side that it's nothing to worry about. 

Let us know how you get on, 

Take care, 

AK