Help please...Cancer or not??

Question

Well..About 2 years ago I noticed small bump like ball things in my neck...I told my mom and she said just to take more antibiotics so i did...I went to the doctors just to make sure it was nothing serious..The doctor said it was nothing and to just take meds. and see if it will go away...Well It did for a little..But today i was rubbing my neck because it felt like i have a pulled muscle or something..Well i have noticed that there is 4 bumps on the right and 3 on the left..these bumps..You cant see them on the outside..Like they arnt noticable but u can feel them? Does anyone know what this might be??..Because i Searched the internet and all i saw was CANCER on all the searches i found...Help...anyone?

Answer 1

In general, small lumps and bumps on the lateral side of the neck (assuming that's what you are pointing to) are most likely enlarged lymph nodes and the process is called "lymphadenopathy."
Lymphadenopathy occurs secondary to a variety of causes as mentioned above by others. Those include infections (mumps, mononucleosis), allergic reactions, inflammatory and granulomatous diseases (like Sarcoidosis and tuberculosis), and cancer processes such as lymphoma or metastaic cancer from another site in the body.

Palpable lymph nodes that are enlarged due to cancer are usually painless, hard, non-mobile, progressively slow-growing, and generally do not shrink with antibiotic therapy. In these cases, other accompanying signs and symptoms of cancer will also be present. Some of those include unintentional weight loss, generalized fatigue, fevers, night sweats, and even easy bruising and bleeding (in cases of lymphomas and leukemias).

On the other hand, lymphadenopathy that is caused by infectious processes is usually painful, does not last for a long time and goes away within days to weeks, and responds well to antibiotics. Other signs of an infectious process such as fever, chills, loss of appetite, rash, sore throat, etc may be present.

With all that said, there are still other entities that can cause bumps in the neck or below the jaw. Some examples include lipomas (benign harmless fatty growths), cysts, salivary duct ecasia (clogged salivary glands and subsequent swelling), or even normal lymph nodes that just happen to be palpable and noticeable on exam, which is a real possibility.

You should be worried if:
- The bumps are hard and not mobile.
- The bumps have been gradually growing in size.
- The bumps are larger than the size of green peas.
- You have had significant unintentional weight loss, have fevers, chills, night sweats, ichtiness, easy bruisability, extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, and bone pain.

The bottom line:
See you doctor again and if necessary, get a second opinion and have the nodes biopsied for a definitive diagnosis.

Hope this helps,

Farhad R. aka Dr. Trojan, MD Candidate 2007
Keck School of Medicine
University of Southern California

Answer 2

Cancer normally doesn't just show up like that. Also taking anti-biotics would not have made them descrease in size or go away.

It really sounds like you have an on going serious infection that is causing your Lympth Nodes to swell. I'd recommend getting in to see a ENT specialist. He/she could better figure out why your lymph nodes are inlarge. Rule out bacterial causes. There are some cancers where the lympth nodes to swell in response to the cancer.

Keep cool, keep the anti-biotics going and so you don't end up with a yeast infection from taking so much anti-biotics, either use acidophillus or eat a couple yogurts each day, they have natural acidophillus in them and both fight off yeast infections. I know, I get htem every time I use an antibiotic and I just take acidophillus everytime I begin antibiotics now. It's cheap as is yogurt.

Try to get into see an ENT right away. Make sure to have written down for him or her, how long this has been going on. What antibiotics you've used and how long you took each antibiotics you've used. Do you have a fever, cancer won't cause a fever. Viral and Bacterial infections will.

Two years of this is two long, so you need a specialist. Or did you mean two weeks?

If two years, you obviously have some time of infection going on. If two years ago and it was cancer, it most likely would have killed you by now.

He/she is going to want to know if this has gone on for two years, they are going to consider HIV or AIDS, both of which would affect your Lympth Nodes. If you don't have insurance, soon as you stop the antibiotics you have this time, go to your local health department and ask for the AIDS test. It will cost about 35 dollars.

Even if you are married, it doesn't mean he hasn't cheated and brought it home to you. He wouldn't necessarily be sick yet either, even if you were. If you have had sex with anyone in the past ten years, unprotected or where the condom broke, you have to consider AIDS, especially if you have been having swollon lympth nodes for 2 years, not 2 weeks.

I hope it's just an infection that needs treated more effectively.

GOOD LUCK, get to a ENT soon.

Answer 3

As a matter of fact, it sounds like you are in the same situation I am. It sounds like the lymph nodes along your neck are enlarged...we have several thousands of these in our body. Sometimes, after an infection, these knot up, or "clog" up. These aren't noticeable but you can feel them. You should more than likely go see an ear, nose, throat doctor so they can more closely diagnose this, and then, if they feel like the infection will not filter out of your lymph, they may have to do surgery and remove them, just so they don't get bigger and be noticeable on your neck. As a matter of fact, I have had surgery on one of mine, and I have another dr's appointment tomarrow for another one. Antibiotics aren't going to do the trick unless this is an "active" infection and not a "dormant one" that has just been in there for a while. I was afraid I might have cancer also when I first found them, but to find out, they were just "stopped up lymph nodes"

Answer 4

What you probably have are simply inflaimed Lymph Nodes and no, they are not always cancerous.

lymph nodes inflame for a variety of reasons -

1) Infections, such as mononucleosis
2) Allergic Reaction, to molds or fungus
3) Sarcoidosis

None of these is nescessarily life threatening.

If you are concerned, see a doctor, and he can diagnose you. Cancer usually presents with additional symptoms - night sweats, lethargy, nausea, diarhea, unexplained weight loss, etc.

If you have no other symptoms at this time, I wouldn't worry about 3 or 4 inflaimed lymph nodes.

Answer 5

that small bumps you are talking about may be enlarged lymph nodes, they are signs that you have an ongoing infection for which antibiotics are useful. when the infection dies out, the lumps are expected to subside. you did not elaborate much as to size and exact location. it could also be goiter, a tumor, which could be benign or cancerous, all depends about biopsy studies. get help from your doctor, if he says it's no cause for alarm, they are lymph nodes.

Answer 6

Maybe you can feel your lymph nodes and sometimes they get swollen when you are sick. Have your doctor check them, but remember it is not always cancer, even if it sounds like it.

Answer 7

it could be something else and appears that the doctor thought it was somethig else. well you need to see a doctor again and maybe find out what this is. let them know you are worried.

Answer 8

you may have consult 3 or more doctors to give u the opinions, we dont know what exactly that is because we can see that... but my opinion is you really have doctors opinion.. dont diagnose it by yourself you may cause more harm on it.. beware its internal u need PHYSICIAN opinion ASAP!

Answer 9

it is unlikely to be cancer, why not go to a doctor who can tell you what itis and stop all this worry?

Answer 10

http://www.factbites.com/topics/Neck-lump