left lymph node swelling - worried about troisier's sign

About 5/6 weeks ago, I found a lump in the left side of my neck - it is quite low down, I would say near (as opposed to on) my collarbone (roughly one cm above where my neck meets my collarbone). I gave it a couple of weeks or so to settle down, then contacted GP who said it appeared to be a deep cervical node, and to leave it just another ten days or so more. It still hasn't gone down,so a different GP organised blood tests (all of which came back within normal range, and no suggestion of infection). She has referred me to a specialist for further testing, so just playing the waiting game. I am a 22year old woman, no huge health issues (bar ibs and sometimes anaemia (due to heavy periods)), and normal wieight, non-smoker. 

Of course, I am very anxious as I know neck lumps can mean lymphoma etc. However, I do know that lymphoma has good prognosis rates. My big fear, is that this is a 'troisier's sign'/ 'vichrow's node' - the swelling of supravicular node on the left side of the neck/collarbone, that can mean late-stage stomach/gastro cancers. I have had ibs since I was about 11/12, and my anxiety sometimes causes stomach pains. Now I am worried that these actually have been something else all along. 

I keep googling and googling to try and work out if these nodes are supravicular or not - it is all very confusing, for every medical journal/website that says my lump is where the vichrow's node is, there is another article which says it is further away from the neck/deeper into the collarbone etc.

Very worried and anxious, and really do not know what to do - I don't think I mentioned the IBS when I spoke to the doctor, and I'm now worried I should have. 

Parents
  • About six years ago I went to doctors for enlarged right lymph node in my neck. The normal one that sometimes sweel up when you get sore throat , but I had had no illness. He said to come back in two weeks. By two weeks it was the size of a tangerine, by the time I got to the biopsy hospital doctor visit it was the size of a grapefruit. Lots of other lymph nodes were also palpable, including the one you mentioned. His that's nothing to worry about made me think I'd better Google that when I get home. Like you it worried me sick. I was 60 so metastasised cancer and the worrying prognosis that presented was so overwhelming I was relieved when they biopsied that one and not the grapefruit one my consultant had ordered. She was really cross and didn't feel I could wait for another biopsy so started my chemo for lymphoma, the most slow growing and easy to manage of all the cancers. She said that trosiers sign was very rare and I would have felt some symptom, my only symptom throughout my lymphoma was enlarged lymph nodes. So I would try not to worry I know that's hard, but lymphoma is very treatable. Chemo shrunk all my lymph nodes by day 10 first cycle. And by my pet scan on cycle 4 of RCHOP Chemo they had all gone. My consultant went for a curative approach and it worked.If they watch the lymph nodes and only treat you when they go into transformation, the outcome is often better or as good as when first observed. 

Reply
  • About six years ago I went to doctors for enlarged right lymph node in my neck. The normal one that sometimes sweel up when you get sore throat , but I had had no illness. He said to come back in two weeks. By two weeks it was the size of a tangerine, by the time I got to the biopsy hospital doctor visit it was the size of a grapefruit. Lots of other lymph nodes were also palpable, including the one you mentioned. His that's nothing to worry about made me think I'd better Google that when I get home. Like you it worried me sick. I was 60 so metastasised cancer and the worrying prognosis that presented was so overwhelming I was relieved when they biopsied that one and not the grapefruit one my consultant had ordered. She was really cross and didn't feel I could wait for another biopsy so started my chemo for lymphoma, the most slow growing and easy to manage of all the cancers. She said that trosiers sign was very rare and I would have felt some symptom, my only symptom throughout my lymphoma was enlarged lymph nodes. So I would try not to worry I know that's hard, but lymphoma is very treatable. Chemo shrunk all my lymph nodes by day 10 first cycle. And by my pet scan on cycle 4 of RCHOP Chemo they had all gone. My consultant went for a curative approach and it worked.If they watch the lymph nodes and only treat you when they go into transformation, the outcome is often better or as good as when first observed. 

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