Found a tiny white looking lump when shaving arm

Hi

Feel embarrassed to ask but was just shaving armpit and found a little pea size limp under left arm out.  No pain but I can't remember ever having it before. 

i suffer from high anxiety and this has set me into panic mode.  I want to  see gp but petrified of path it could take me on. 
 

Know I have to face this but so low with everything else in life it just feels like it will be cancer. 
 

Am too scared to tell husband as he only recently lost his mum. 
 

 

 

  • Hi Han48. Welcome to the forum.

    I'm not a doctor and I have no medical qualifications.

    First, let me give you some general reassurance: most lumps turn out to be harmless.  We all collect our fair share of lumps over time, but they're usually no problem. Often they appear out of nowhere, hang around for bit, and then disappear. 

    A white pea sized lump is possibly a cyst caused by in infection, or given its location, it might be a swollen lymph node. Neither is any immediate cause for concern, but only your doctor can give you an identification.  

    Now you've spotted it, I suggest you allow it four weeks to go away.  If it completely goes away then fine, otherwise show it to your GP for an opinion - but don't expect it's likely to be cancer.  

    Just a personal story about a recent lump.  A few weeks before Xmas I noticed I had a lump in my lower lip.  It felt very large. After 3-4 weeks I screwed up my courage and made an appointment to see the dentist. He identified it as type of cyst caused by accidentally biting my lip. Then, over a period of a couple of weeks, it shrank and now it's completely gone!  That's lumps for you! 

  • Thank you for the reassurance. 
     

    My mind is in overdrive, I am due for a routine mammogram next week and not sure whether to wait for that or go to gp this morning. 
     

    I always fear the worst. With anxiety high I worry at the best of timed and something like this is just something else to focus on. 
     

    sorry for the rambling .  

  • You're clearly worried and I suggest you see if you can get an early appointment with your GP to set your mind at rest.  Please let us know how you get on, because your feedback really helps us write better answers for those who follow.