Could I have cancer or is it a swollen lymph node?

So I am 19 and have felt a lump in my throat since July 2019, and I still have it now. Doctors can't feel a lump outside my throat but I can feel it every time I swallow and it feels like a ball that has been moving. I had some breathing issues, throat full of mucus and bleeding and found it difficult to swallow but not sure if it was from the throat or gums. Right now I just have the lump  and no other symptoms. I was due to have a nasendoscopy so they put a wire through the nose and into your throat but it got cancelled due to covid 19. Should I be worried? Does Cancer poke you like a wire? My mum has had ovarian cancer but no one else close in my family. Doctors won't refer me for tests due to the pandemic.

 

  • Hello and welcome to the forum.

    I should start out by saying I'm not a doctor and I have no medical qualifications.

    I'm sorry to hear you've had this worrying issue for so long. Please be reassured that most lumps aren't cancer, and many lumps in the neck turn out to be swollen lymph glands fighting an infection, but no one can say for certain without tests. Although lymph glands normally settle down once the infection has gone, a tiny number do remain harmlessly swollen for a very long time.

    You don't say when the nasendoscopy was cancelled.  There were many cancellations when Covid first struck, but hospitals are re-opening more departments and the situation may have changed.  It would probably be worthwhile going back to your GP to have a chat about what's available, even if you have to travel some distance.  Even if an ENT appointment isn't possible, your GP might still be able to arrange an ultrasound scan which could yield some useful results and might be able to identify the lump.

  • The nasendoscopy was cancelled on or around May 2020, right now in London the coronavirus cases have seriously increased and doctors are even refusing to treat those with cancer due to the pandemic. I was advised to wait a while and call back when the coronavirus calms down or when the coronavirus goes away completely. Of course, if it is cancer it is an emergency. If it has anything to do with thyroid or a blood clot could it show up? Doctors are not referring people on unless it is an emergency, and they say what I have isn't an emergency, they say its either purely psychological (globus), caused by my constant gastroesophagus reflux disease or a swollen lymph node and a swollen lymph node is common in those with my rare genetic disorder.  

  • Did u ever get it sorted I'm having the same symptoms I'm terrified