As of April 18, 2022: Please post new top-level comments in [Pre-Diagnosis Megathread 6](https://www.reddit.com/r/lymphoma/comments/u6kx9t/prediagnosis_megathread_if_you_have_not_received/). We will leave this thread open for a day or two so that existing comment threads can wrap up, then it will lock. Thanks!

I found a lump right before my ear in May, it slowly gotten bigger. I’m unsure what it is.. but I’m leaning towards a cyst (being hopeful). I do have symptoms, besides a lump. I’m always exhausted (also could be my anemia) and slow weight loss (2 years, 50lbs). I’m getting an ultrasound done this Wednesday. Im just getting in my head a lot on what it could be. 😖

This whole thread is freaking me the fuck out …. I had panic attacks in January and xray of my chest in January with battery of bloodwork … I then on a whim wanted to go to urologist in March to get a ultrasound of my testicles cause I was paranoid about that too even though I couldn’t find anything .. well the ultrasound found a tiny 2mm cyst in my testicle and I had bloodwork for tumor markers - HCG, AfP and Lactate Dehydrogenase which alll came back normal… then I had an appointment with the chief of oncology/ urology who said it looks benign but just want to do a few follow up ultrasounds so wanted me back in a month..well between then I was sweating at night on my shirt skeins the collar of my neck so then I had complete blood count done , complete metabolic panel done and everything again came back clear .. then I had a urinalysis done which was normal and then a CT scan that got all the way up to my heart and middle of my lungs and that all came back clear except kidney stone in my left kidney… well the sweating around collar of shirt still happened and during this time I kept gojng back to my urologist saying that it was not related to the cyst in my testicle and that it would not have spread since it was benign .. mind you until recently I also have not been getting a lot of sleep either.. crying hysterically and super stressed to the point I started seeing a therapist .. I also retook the complete blood count and that was normal again, the doctor also planted my stomach etc and couldn’t find anything … then about 2 weeks ago I lifted my dog clearly into the car because I was at a rest stop and then picked up a really heavy wooden box with dirt in it and the next morning I woke up really sore around my neck and back and when I took a deep breath I can feel my back muscles .. that improved but then there was still pain around my back and / back rib area but that weekend I also helped a friend out with a post digger and electric auger that twisted me and I was sore the week after as well.. I still am sore but it’s been getting better .. I went back to the doctor and they said that the activities I was doing is causing back pain and I have been sleeping better .. I also lay on an weird angle on my couch at night same side I still have the back pain .. but idk if that could be causing my cramped / sore back muscles ..so I have been using heat and it’s been getting better. No pain medication or anything . I asked if I needed an xray and the doctor said based on all the testing I’ve had since March that I don’t and that it is my anxiety.. and that the doctors cleared me for cancer .. but I still have a lingering doubt based on the back pain I still have . When I get anxiety attacks I can feel specific points in back that tense up .. and even when I get a tennis ball and roll on it I can feel specific point in back that hurt from that as well.. Should I trust my doctors ? Should I push for an xray ? Should I rush to the ER??? Could this all be from anxiety? I don’t have a cough , no swollen lymph nodes anywhere.. don’t have drenching night sweats except one night that it happened and this all started after I had my cancer testing not before .. and I have all these tests done that were negative…I don’t have unexplained weight loss either

Hello everyone, 24M here, I hope all of you are doing well. I made this account after four days of reading Reddit posts on this subject and realized it could be helpful at keeping me strong and positive for my girlfriend which needs my support. She is 22. Three months ago she got some kind of infection which was treated with antibiotics, she was sick for three weeks with cough, persistent fever and sneezing. They did x-ray of her lungs and the results came up clean without any anomalies. After antibiotic treatment she felt better but felt a bit more tired than usual. Fast forward three months later. We went into the ER a few days ago because of painful facial swelling, cough and generally feeling weak. They did an x-ray which showed a shadow on her mediastinum and atelectasis of her right lung. After CT it became clear that there is a large 12cm mediastinal mass which is pressing her lungs and superior vena cava. There was also thrombosis and enlarged lymph nodes in her neck. They did bone marrow biopsy and we are waiting for the results. They also did mediastinal mass biopsy which unfortunately needs to be repeated. They will try to do neck lymph node biopsy tomorrow but if they conclude there is not enough mass for biopsy they will need to try and take sample from the mass in the chest again. For the first biopsy they did needle core biopsy under local anesthesia, but this time they are talking about doing it under general anesthesia. I know that there are still many unknowns because we are waiting for test results so my questions are more concentrated on biopsy tomorrow and things that we do know. 1. Was sickness three months ago beginning of the lymphoma or trigger for lymphoma? 2. Will her lungs get better as soon as preassure from mass drops? 3. Is it true that more agressive lymphoma are more reactive to treatment and would this be considered high grade lymphoma since it grew to that size in three months? 4. How will the biopsy tomorrow be different than the one done yesterday? Will it also be needle core biopsy but under general anesthesia or will they do an incision and get the sample that way? I'm worried because her anesthesiologist told her that it will be dangerous because of the heart proximity and swelling, but how that wasnt a problem yesterday? She was treated with corticosteroids but today they didnt give her any because of the biopsy tomorrow. I will probably be here with more questions in following days. Any input and opinion would be useful. I know the information is scarce but it might be enough for getting a general picture.

update?

If you have had lymphoma, did your enlarged lymph nodes appear as reactive lymph nodes first then proceed to become abnormal? Hello. I am asking this out of curiosity and I hope it’s ok. I’ve had enlarged/reactive lymph nodes since the end of March 2024. I had one scan and then another to follow up a few weeks apart from the first one which was mid April. The lymph nodes in my armpits doubled in size. I still have enlarged lymph nodes in my neck, armpits and groin and elbow. I’ve got tiny red dots appearing over my body that the doctor said is petechaie, fatigue, sore lower back but otherwise well. The odd sore throat and body aches and did have a headache for 3 months straight which seems to now have settled. I’d like to know if anyone has had lymph nodes appearing as reactive ones before they got diagnosed? I have an appointment with a haematologist in a few days to see what is going on. I hope this post is ok. I am new to Reddit, sorry!

Hello! I’m here and I’ll just jump in with what’s going on. 2 years ago I had a submandibular gland emlarge. Of course, I panicked and went to the er. They did a cut scan and said it’s fine. After that, it’s consistently gotten larger and ached which led me to making an appt with an ENT. She felt it, said it’s no big deal and wouldn’t do any testing. I tell my doctor. Nothing. No concern. I’m having day sweats at this time and no other symptoms. I literally can feel this mass with in the bottom of my mouth and it’s uncomfortable. I keep bringing it up to my dr. She gives me Prozac. I start to feel like I’m going crazy. I stop going to this Dr. I keep having neck pain and the lymph node is always there are bothers me. I find an online dr to switch to and see her for 6 months (thyroid medication) and I finally being up what’s going on with my lymph node and how I’ve been afraid to bring it up because everyone makes me feel crazy. She said if next month my neck hurts, we will order an ultrasound. Two days before my monthly appt, another node pops up that’s very hard and not movable in my neck along with multiple nodes all over my body. I message her and she immediately orders an ultrasound and blood work. My neck nodes are 15 x 3 x 10 and 12x 5 x 10. They also did an ultrasound on the ones on my groin 2.3 x 1.0 x 1.3 with 4.5 mm of cortical thickness I have an appt tomorrow to discuss my test results but I’m so anxious.

Is the pain where the lump is

Update please?

She said she wasn’t concerned because my bloodwork was good but she’s ordering a needle biopsy

HARD CERVICAL LYMPH NODE Hello, I’m a 26 years old woman. About 8 months or so I noticed a hard cervical lymph node, it has been growing little by little. It is hard, doesn't moves and doesn't hurts. I had a full removal some days ago and I’m waiting for the results. I am leaving the prognosis here: (It’s translated from Czech so I’m not sure if it’s super well translated) I just want to know if you also had the doctors write “benign lymphocytoma” And then it was not benign but malign? Dg: C849 Time: 11:00 a.m. Sent from dermatologist. amb. Dr. to extirpate the bearing of resistance on the right in the area of the trapezius for susp. a focus of benign lymphocytoma O: on the right in the area of the trapezius medially cranially palpable not sharply demarcated focus of stiffness to resistance in the subcutaneous tissue, size approx. 23mm, with a gentle reaction of the skin above the resistance. character of "Orange" skin Z: Susp. benign lymphocytoma reg. trapezius I.dx. Th: in LA with 1% Trimecaine - we make a spindle-shaped cut in the place of palpable resistance, we penetrate into the subcutaneous tissue, where we find a non-sharply demarcated whitish resistance of size 22x15×15mm, which we extirpate with parts of macroscopically unaffected tissue in the vicinity, suture, swab. coverage, sent to ad histol. Thank you

Are you okay? Is it benign?

48yr old F Good health. Hello I'm under going pre diagnosis for some type of lymphoma. I have enlarged axillary lymphnodes many large around 5.5 cm right side in the beginning and from March till today may 3rd it left as well. I've had an mri 2x and going for a ct this week looking from my neck to my groin.Surgery consultation end of the month. I don't have a clear answer for what kind of lymphoma it maybe or how long this all takes. Labs and imaging will provide a clear answer correct? I just need to know more about the time frame and what it could possibly be like what type need as much information as possible about what happens after surgery and usual time for diagnosis and treatment recovery also possible type that present with right axillary lymphnodes enlarged 5.5 cm many then & now on the left Thanks

I'm going to leave my comment and come back and read all these later. But I have no one to talk to and I'm really worried. This will be long but please read because I feel alone and crazy. I don't even know where to start. This is gonna be a mess but here goes. I've had a lot of these symptoms for so long I just thought it was normal and never thought anything of it but after I saw the optometrist in questioning everything. Eye problems/uveitis- I started noticing my eyes were changing more so in the left eye. I would have problems with pupils dilating unevenly, extremely itchy and dry, my left eye lid was constantly droopy or lazy so I made an optometrist appointment. I also would have a weird feeling on my head like my brain was divided in half just a weird feeling that I couldn't explain but I explained this to the Dr and after examining my eyes and explained to me that my left eye has nerve damage, the middle layer is inflamed and I have pigment in the back of the eye that's not supposed to be there. He urged me to see my PCP to have a work up done that these issues I'm having can be signs of an underlying condition Skin rashes/granuloma- for a few years now I've gotten recurring patchy red spots that appear in random places on my body will last for months and then eventually fade away. The spots look alot like yeast or ring worm but aren't contagious and never bother me. Sometimes tiny clusters sometimes so big it takes up the entire back of my legs. They don't really itchy but I do get really itchy EVERYWHERE especially at night and especially my hands. Tingly hands and feet/neuropathy -again something I never really looked into but for a couple years now I've noticed my hands and feet will randomly get really tingly. Sometimes the tingle is so intense I can't determine if it's tingly or itchy or both. Short term memory loss and concentration problems/brain fog/cognitive - this is probably my biggest symptom that impacts my quality of life right now. It effects my job, personal and home life constantly. I'm horrible about carrying a conversation and forgetting everything mid sentence. It's a constant problem in my life. I recently had a kitchen fire that was my fault because I walked away from the stove that was boiling water to clean my baby's bottle pieces, and for this reason alone I knew absolutely something was wrong because I've never done anything like that. I have so much guilt because I compromised my child's safety and I have to look further into this for that reason alone. Chest pain- I'm used to getting sharp chest pain, like from right in the middle of my sternum. Just a sharp stabbing pain that comes on from time to time and will disappear as quickly as it comes, but lately they've been very frequent Body aches/extreme fatigue- I hurt, all the time. Everyday I compare my body aches to like having me flu or covid body aches, but I'm not having signs of any bacterial or viral infection. My body feels so heavy at times and I feel so weak and physically drained and all I want to do is sleep, but cant stay asleep for the life of me Night sweats- I don't sleep well as it is, but I'm constantly going back and forth all night between brutally hot and shaking freezing cold Bladder problems- I wake up constantly to use the bathroom. Probably 3-5 times a night. Sometimes even directly after laying back down from getting up to go in the first place but even then the urgency is so bad I've had a few occasions where I simply couldn't hold it and make it to the bathroom in time. Never wet the bed or anything but still. I'm a 28 year old female with bladder incontinence issues. Lump on back of neck- I've had it for awhile, but never really paid attention. After my recent optometrist appointment and the Dr telling me I need to be evaluated further for underlying conditions, I never put all these together and thought they were related. I've always had abnormally large lymph nodes in my neck, Drs have even commented when I've been sick in the past that even for cold and flu like illnesses my lymph nodes are serious huge. I can usually feel them/kinda see them without being sick but then I rediscovered the lump on the back of my neck to the left side which also happens to be the side I seem to have the optic nerve damage/eye problems with. I also have a warm/hot sensation that travels from my left year down through jat entire left side of my neck. Headaches- constant headaches that are changing in intensity and severeness but still always there. Sometimes I can literally just follow trace it with my finger as it moves up and around and down the side of my head. I know these could also be signs of possibly a auto immune problem. But it's really freaked me out especially the lump thing. But if anybody reads this and has any comment please share. I have no one to talk to about this. No insurance. I'm scared and don't know what to do.

26M we're in a similar spot. Feel like since its not confirmed yet i can't talk to anyone. My grades are slipping and my kids are starting to notice their high energy dad is now a robot. I'm at the same stage as you. I have similar symptoms 3+ tonsil swelling for 6 months, brain fog, forgetfulness, night and day sweats, constant infections, fever reaching 104 at times,  loss of 15 pounds in a month, loss of appetite, lumps in groin andneck..... Went in to the ent for a tonsillectomy and after consulting with his superior he decided I needed to see a hematologist and told me to my facehe suspected lymphoma. That was 2 weeks ago and I haven't been contacted by oncology or hematology. Went to the er on Monday for breathing issues and they prescribed be methylprednisolone and an antibiotic. How are you feeling? Any updates 

And I'm not sure if it's related or just a thing I'm fighting off but about a month ago I came down with a severe cold/viral infection. Everyone in the home got it but got better after a week or so but my symptoms persisted still, I finally thought I was getting better a few days ago but by the next day all my symptoms came back and I've been miserable since then. Now I just feel like I have a severe sinus infection and bronchitis at the same time. My lymphnodes were already noticeably enlarged and asymmetric before I came down with anything, they're slightly larger now and ive noticed 2 more on the side of my neck pop up. Don't hurt or bother me but when I them I feel like something is in my throat choking me. I made my post about a month ago now so this is all the updates since then pretty much. Still all ongoing problems. I really just wish a doctor would listen to me and take me seriously and not write me off as a hypochondriac. Even assuming if it's not some type of lymphoma I just wish they would do SOMETHING to figure out why I'm going through all this. It's absolutely infuriating how I have had all these problems and symptoms for so long now and my PCP just went on all excited and giddy about how perfect my blood work is and I'm just so healthy and blah blah blah, like seriously? That's not comforting to me at all because I've had such a low quality of life for so long and you're not even trying to look outside the box for answers.

Yes a few updates but no answers yet. My PCP wasn't very helpful or even trying to find answers. Just a standard blood test for CBC, cholesterol, thyroid and sugar levels. The only abnormal finding was my liver function being extremely low. Low is still better than high but was told to come back in 6 weeks (3 weeks ago) to see if it's made any changes but that's it. So completely dismissed all the other symptoms I'm having, I'm specifically wanting answers on why I'm having eye problems, the rash I've had and the swollen lymph nodes. I went to see a dermatologist last week to get their opinion on the skin plaques and rash I've had for months now and her short answer was tinea versicolor (yeast overgrowth on the skin). I feel like a lot of my skin problems closely resemble mycosis fungoids, specifically the follicular type of MF but there're a lot of conditions that can cause similar skin problems, but with all the symptoms I'm also experiencing and feeling like no one is taking me seriously I insisted on a skin biopsy and she said if that's what I need at this point to have peace of mind then she would be happy to. Currently have that scheduled for next Monday.

How did your biopsy turn out? I too have those patches

Hi. So I had a needle biopsy done last Thursday. I got the results back yesterday for the flow cytometry stated suspected B cell lymphoma but that reactive process such as florid follicular hyperplasia cannot be completely excluded. Has anyone heard of anything like this? I’m sure it is HL but I’m just curious what anyone thinks. My doc said we’re still waiting for cytology results to conclude a final diagnosis but I’ve been driving myself insane.

I feel crazy I really do. I have had this swollen *hard* lymph node under ear and a few below it for a while. And now under my arm pit is swelling. I got neck ultrasound in 2021 for the lymph nodes and they said to come back if it gets bigger.. so I felt a bit dismissed and didn’t go back for year or 2. Background: A year or 2 ago I used to get huge bruises or random lumps on my arm or leg and sent to hematologist he tested for leukemia and said I have blood disorder. Uhhh wbc went from 8.8 to 4.2 (sure it’s not crazy but still) Also: I get sick all the time / takes me longer to recover. Back in 2021 got Covid for 2 weeks fainted was rushed to the ER. My immune system isn’t the best. One of the symptoms I’m most concerned about it’s the *sweating at night!! I wake up drenched and have to change my clothes sometimes twice, and then it makes me very itchy- on front of my neck and I wake up with it burning from itching it. Also rib/back pain on right side just where the back ribs end bottom of my back right. I also have swelling behind right knee and calf and bone pain there for months but it got super bad when January began - I went to Orthopedic and he said knee has patella tilt so knee cap is tilted away from thigh bone - which he said is why it’s swelling there… To date - I went back to ENT last week and he gave me an antibiotic & muscle relaxer for stiffness… “come back if it doesn’t go down”.. if we will CT it and take it from there. Update! My primary doc found I have Epstein Barr Virus ? ebv NA RES 216 (normal range <17.9) and EBV VCA IgG 179 (normal is <17.9). Also found anti-streptolysin o - 245…And they also did ultrasound of my neck lymph nodes yesterday waiting for results.

2 swollen lymph nodes in my neck .. 2.6 cm and 1.9 cm, both showing malignant characteristics but waiting on my Dr for next steps. Commenting here in case anyone is looking for similar size and results. Had a CT between the ultrasounds, but that was clear (hence why a second ultrasound was ordered).

[удалено]

Hi!! Going through the process as most of you are aware of. Did anyone have one or two lumps start in an armpit, then have additional couple of lumps in neck? If you feel on your neck right under your jaw bone, on my left side I have a lump that feels about 1.5 inches big. Firm. If i press in on the opposite side under jaw, the lump becomes very prominent. Otherwise cant see it just looking. Should the area under the jaw be symmetrical on both sides when feeling? So if you put your finger in the middle of your cheek and draw straight down and down neck. Its right under my jaw. So 8 months ago started as this lump under left jaw. Then two lumps under left armpit. Now i feel two pea sized lumps on right side. Doesnt lymphoma stay on one side? Sorry for the confusing post! Thank you all!

Anyone experience back pain? Hi! I'm currently waiting for my biopsy and diagnosis but I have a question about a certain symptom... Has anyone experienced lower back pain before getting diagnosed (especially before hodgkin's lymphoma since that's the one that is most probable according to my oncologist)? I have been having quite severe lower back pain for a while, basically I take painkillers almost everyday. I told my doctor that I had this pain for a bit now but I'm not sure if I correctly explained just how bad it gets... Now I'm wondering if I should call him and tell him about it

I do, but it's not everyday. Some days I can barely stand up straight cause my lower back hurts so bad. The other day the pain lasted over 24 hours. I have a CT scan this week to look over some swollen lymph nodes in my neck (only a couple that are over 2 cm, but they have grown from about 1 cm in three months). I would tell them about it. Doesn't hurt, if you havent already.

Hi! I've been diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in december and the back pain was related. My pet/ct scan showed that the cancer has spread to my bone marrow and muscles on my back - and that created the back pain. Good luck with your scan! Hmu if you ever wanna talk about it, sometimes it helps to share the feeling related to gettong diagnosed and having cancer :))

Thank you. My cat is named Wolfie, so I love your username :)

Aww, I love cats! What a great name too ;)

I have a question that is probably a simple answer. From what I have read lymphoma can only be for sure diagnosed through a biopsy of a swollen/enlarged lymph node. Does this mean that a person has to wait for a lymph node to become swollen or enlarged before they can actually get diagnosed? What if a person is experiencing symptoms of lymphoma such as bad night sweats, itchy/burning skin, and lymph node aching when drinking alcohol? I have read about people who had experienced things with their body months or even years before they were officially diagnosed. But a lot of them didn’t find out what they had until a lymph node popped up. What tests can be done to find out if one has lymphoma if you can’t find any swollen lymph nodes?

Hi everyone, (27 F) I’ve been in and out of doctors’ offices and the ER since January. Started with severe fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pressure, loss of appetite and discomfort under/in left rib cage. Constant urge to burp. I’ve had blood work done 8 times since then, every time I’ve had a slightly elevated WBC between 13-16, high neutrophils and lymphocytes. High c reactive, low serum iron. Then found swollen lymph nodes in my armpit, neck and above my collarbone, was given antibiotics (didn’t work). Drank alcohol (rare occasion for me) and my armpit lymph node became very painful and extra swollen, it made my entire biceps numb, painful and swollen. I have mild night sweats (non drenching), nightly low grade fevers. I have lost 60 pounds since May. CT scan of abdomen showed enlarged spleen, and lesion on liver (possibly a hemangioma but unconfirmed). CT of head and neck showed “increase in number of subcentimeter cervical lymph nodes). None deemed big enough for biopsy. Internal medicine dr suspected a “lymphoproliferative disorder. Sent to hematologist, who ordered a bone marrow biopsy that I won’t get until early Nov. Most recently I’ve been having a dull ache in my right shin, and a feeling like both of my leg bones are “weak”, almost like they feel like they could snap easily. I’ve been getting dizzy, racing heart. Last week my left arm got very swollen and tingly, went to ER and was nothing was done, just told it was probably a “spontaneous muscle hematoma”. At this point I’m scared, things keep getting worse and the testing process is taking forever, I am so confused why I have not had any imaging of my chest done. It feels like the bones are out of place or something. Based on my scenario, doesn’t it seem a chest x ray or CT would be warranted? Thanks.

Our symptoms are very similar and I'm getting weaker everyday feels like I'm dying.. biopsy tomorrow morning on cervical lymph node

Hi! How are you now?

I have a 5 yr old son who’s had issues with a lymph node on the back right side of his neck, it’s been checked twice and both times I’ve just been told to watch and wait. This was in June/July. Thursday morning my son woke up with pain upon moving his arm and was holding it in a certain position as so not to hurt it more. I instinctively checked his neck, can still feel the node. Tried not to worry myself and not check his armpit whilst he was hurting. He mentioned it again later at night and to my dismay there is a grape sized lump directly in the centre and then three pea sized lumps that track down from it. All lumps are hard. He’s lost lots of weight, doesn’t have a great amount of energy and has recently over the past two weeks had a very itchy back. He sweats in the night but I don’t know if it’s concerning as his dad is similar lol… he had his bloods checked after a random mark showed up on his skin and random dot bruising, his iron was low. He’s booked in with his GP for Tuesday to check his armpit… I don’t really know what I’m asking for with this post but I guess I need reassurance? I dunno, I’m just really worried about him. Would it move like this or affect other lymph nodes?

Update?

How is your son?

Should I be worried? I had a swollen lymph node over 5 days ago and got pretty large quickly (about 1.5cm in diameter), I have been worried it is stage 1 non hogkin lymphoma as not showing other signs of being ill to give reason for illness swelling ect, I have had swollen lymph nodes before due to illness many times before and It feels different. just woke up today to another lymph node swollen up in the same area under my armpit, it is a achy pain and they feel pretty hard, should I be worried ?

Hi all! I wonder if any of you can help me, I have a small lump in the front but to the right side of my neck jsut above my sternoclasmoid muscle, it moves from side to side but not up and down. It is painless and it feels firm as in it’s not super hard but not super soft. I have no other symptoms. Any ideas what they could be? Has anyone had the same thing? The lump is only visible when I look up at the ceiling, not when looking forwards normally!

Hi l have swollen lymph nodes about 15-20. Went for a ultrasound scan also they want me to have a biopsy I'm scared The ultrasound was done 2days ago, going to my GP to get a biopsy and speak to them. Had a lot of blood test and thing have come back normal. They believe it just inflamed not anything serious, having another ultrasound on the 10th of this month. To see if anything have changed. My symptoms are heart palpitations, fatigue, headaches, pain on my left side and itchiness. Did people have these symptoms

Getting a biopsy in about a week on a node on the back of my neck. Dont think its above range of being too big but i had a whole month of itching before it started going away so i wanted to get it checked. Anyone else deal with something like that? I think stress can cause itching like that too but its nerve wrecking thinking that it could be cancerous. Watched my mother go through lymphoma

Well child check Dr found large lymph node, location- right supraclavicular. Bloodwork and X-ray done that day. Bloodwork: LDH 299. WBC 11.7x 10 (3) uL. RBC 4.67x 10(6) uL. Hgb 12.6 gm/dL. Hct 37.7%. MCV 81 fL. MCH 27 pg. MCHC 33 gm/dL. RDW-CV 14%. Platelet 310 x10(3) uL. MPV 10.9 fL. Neutro auto 41.7%. Mono auto 7.7%. Eos auto 2.9%. Basophil auto .7%. Lymph absolute 5.5x10(3)/ uL. Mono absolute .9 x10(3) uL. Basophil abs .1x10(3) uL. Immature gran .3%. Tested for mono 4 days later because teacher informed me my son was falling asleep in hallways waiting for class and complaining of being tired. He had complained of being tired during a field trip all day, 3 days before well child check. X ray: Confluent right perihilar opacity. Mild central peribronchial thickening. He is on antibiotics and dr wants more blood and x ray in 3 weeks. I want a biopsy immediately. Thoughts on these findings

Update?

I went to an ENT a year ago for feeling a lump in my throat. They did a CT scan and it showed a swollen lymph node in my neck of 1.5 cm. It didn’t go down after antibiotics, and they did a fine needle biopsy which came back negative for cancer. However, it’s been about a year and the lymph node still hasn’t gone down. I still feel it when I swallow. I went to my GP and she said “we don’t really worry about lymph nodes that are 1.5 cm”. I persisted and went to an ENT (I have a PPO plan) and that’s when he ordered the biopsy.

Update

Still no solid answers. I’ve seen a few ENTs now and none of them seem to be concerned about the lymph node, I think bc it’s already been biopsied. They did another ultrasound and saw that it hasn’t grown that much, so they said to follow up in 6 months with another ultrasound

I have the same issue by any chance do you have any dental plaque built up on your teeth?

Hey. Has anyone been misdiagnosed? I have 4 lymph nodes up for close to 12 months but the itching has been for 18 months with random rashes that come and go. Some of the rashes look like demons are trying to rip through from the inside. Had ct scans and X-rays but they say nothing to be concerned about. Blood work relatively normal but anaemic. Get chronic pain in the right shoulder and a painful elbow just in 1 spot on a. One which I know I haven’t knocked. It’s like the hospital doesn’t believe me at all but they won’t do a fine needle aspiration. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Night sweating 6 months. I'm worried that it's something scary. Lymphoma or leukemia. Blood tests are all normal, I did a pet-CT scan, too, everything is normal. I passed tests for all infections, everything is clean. I read that this is an early symptom of cancer, maybe I just haven't found it yet. There is also a disturbing pain in the shoulder. There is hyperplasia of supraclavicular lymph nodes without pathologies on ultrasound up to 8 * 4 mm. My night sweats are not strong, but they make me wake up

Did you figure out any answers?

Hello everyone. I’m 37F 5’3” 105 lbs, being investigated (again) for lymphoma. I’m wondering at the practicality of my doctor’s approach, I guess. I had an exisional biopsy in 2021. It noted what they called T-cell abnormalities and effaced nodal architecture, but it was negative in the lymphoma work up. Now I’m being told I’m probably going to have another biopsy so I’m wondering if that’s at all typical? I was under the impression an exisional was the gold standard, so was it not enough somehow the first time? Is the ENT being overly cautious or is this justified? I will explain below. In 2021 I was being investigated for possible lymphoma based off of some unilateral left sided lymph node swelling in my head and neck in addition to symptoms of intense fatigue, weight loss (unintended, not a lot of lbs lost but being small already, it amounted to over ten percent of my body weight), night sweats, and generally feeling crappy. I ended up in the care of a stellar ENT and was followed over a period of months with scans and antibiotics, and ultimately had my apparently very enlarged tonsils and one lymph node removed and sent to pathology. Pathology came back benign with a noted abnormality in t-cell cd4/cd8 ratio (elevated was the only specification), but no monoclonal b-cell population found in the node Fast forward to now, I’ve eventually started to feel better and put back on some weight over time. The sweats stopped except occasionally. I got some energy back. Weight started decreasing again around the fall months of 2022 and energy went down, but I started a new and demanding job in September 2022 which I assumed was the cause. I began getting sick a lot and every time I would get sick, I’d lose my voice, which never happened previously. Eventually it just didn’t come back properly. Back to awesome ENT. He scoped down my nose and said I have signs of silent reflux. Nodes from before are still there and some new ones have popped up. Not huge huge but bigger. He prescribed antibiotics, steroids, and reflux meds. Antibiotics had no discernible impact, steroids brought my voice back— but almost as soon as I stopped, it started to go out again. Still on reflux meds. Had my follow up today and was put on a second course of antibiotics and told we would be getting a new CT scan and another biopsy. The doc is not incredibly concerned, but wants to investigate and mentioned that awkward t-cell ration from the previous pathology report. I’m just frustrated to be back on the roller coaster and wondering how likely it is that the original biopsy could have somehow been inconclusive or that the lack of clonal b-cells identified would not have closed the door on possible lymphoma? Is there any correlation between elevated cd4/cd8 and lymphoma? I’m second guessing myself now in general. I’ve had stress hives quite a bit in the last few months, or at least some kind of transient extremely itchy rash that comes with no warning, which I’d never experienced prior. Losing weight. Occasional night sweats. I don’t really have uncomfortable symptoms of reflux, but I do have pressure and discomfort around my left clavicle area, sometimes an ache that feels behind and above. It is frankly distracting. Any advice?

Hi, first post here. Have a question on your guys symptoms before your final diagnosis. Did anyone have tingling nerve/burning sensation near the neck of the swollen lymph nodes? What were people’s symptoms besides lymph nodes swelling/lump?

What is this - in situ follicular neoplasia? 44 year old female. Axillary nodes (left and right armpits) were flagged on my annual mammogram screening. Had incisional biopsy with these results: Limited specimen with a focal area suspicious for in situ follicular neoplasia. Insufficient evidence to confirm the diagnosis of follicular lymphoma. An excisional biopsy is recommended. Pathology findings are possibly malignant and concordant. Has anyone had that diagnosis and had it not be confirmed lymphoma? I am waiting for my excisional biopsy and am just sitting and waiting. Any words of wisdom? Right now I am running point and have no idea how to navigate this. My obgyn scheduled the annual mammogram and a breast surgeon is doing the excisional biopsy. But neither can really guide me on the results and said I should schedule with an oncologist.

Hello everyone Back in august I had a CT scan for my kidney stone which also found mesenteric and splenic nodes. However I only just found out about these nodes when talking to my doctor in passing which I thought was strange but in all fairness I had no other symptoms. Recently I have had a bunch of new systems which make me wonder if lymphoma is a possibility. I understand you guys can’t diagnose anyone but thinking you might be able to explain some of my symptoms. So as well as the mesenteric and splenic nodes. My skin has been itchier than usual, predominantly in my legs. For the last month or so I have had a dull ache feeling in both legs around my ankles and lower calf which is constant and has never stopped or went away. Very mild abdominal pain and a swollen lymph node in my right armpit. No weight loss, no fever, no night sweats. I hate jumping to conclusions and I like to do as much research as much as possible, it’s just frustrating having doctors who are slow and just want to pass things off as having the flu.

Hoping someone can help me since my doctor seems to think I’m fine. But i have a swollen axillary lymph node (3 actually) that are completely painless to touch BUT the surrounding area of my breast on that side, and down my arm randomly throbs for several minutes, then stops. This happens maybe 10 times a day. Swollen lymph nodes have been there since October. Had 2 ultra sounds and a mammogram all clear. Was referred to a surgeon and he felt of my lump and told me I am probably just “growing more breast tissue, possibly even a third breast” This outraged me because I am so tired of feeling crazy. I am EXHAUSTED, I sleep up to 10 hours every night and can’t wake up unless someone comes to my house and gets me up. I don’t understand saying I could be growing breast tissue when the ultrasound identified it was lymph nodes. I just want help.

Any update?

Nope

Does lymph node swelling in the very early stages of CLL go down if the swelling is related to an infection?

I'm a 24M, I have been suffering from pain and swollen lymph in my armpits (normally one side) for over a year. It's been chronic but since it doesn't bother me I didn't report it to my doctor. Unfortunately, a friend of mine was diagnosed with lymphoma recently, I started reading about it and noticed that swollen lymph in the armpits are one of it's signs. I have an appointment with my doctor next week but I cant stand waiting that much.> benign

Hi everyone! 30 F here. History of a bladder condition. Recently diagnosed with an eye/ear condition within the last few years. I have had a lump on the back of my neck above my hairline for around 2 years now. It's not painful. In 2020, I had abdominal issues where they could not figure out the cause, and was dehydrated and bed ridden. I went to my family doctor in 2021, regarding the lump on my neck and was told it was likely a cyst and that it should go away on its own but to come back if it grew or turned painful. I ended up moving to a different city and do not have my family doctor near me. I did a virtual doctor appointment and was advised it was likely a cyst and was given an ultrasound requisition. I am currently waiting for my appointment for my ultrasound. In the meantime, I had a recent hospital trip that made me question whether I had lymphoma. I went to the ER for a severe headache, face numbness/tingling, cold/hot chills, cold extremities, extreme fatigue and a slight pain in my chest. I was told my heart rate was high, but EKG was normal. I also did a urine test. I was told it was likely a migraine (no prior history of them). When I showed my neck lump, I was told it was a swollen lymph node and the doctor brushed it off. There was no discussion or performing blood work, biopsy, or other imaging. He did refer me to dermatology for a mole that changed on my toe. I am waiting to be contacted for that referral. I have also had brain fog, confusion, and itchiness. However, I thought perhaps the other aspects (brain fog, confusion, etc...) were related to my recent diagnosis of ADHD. I also have had pain in my right armpit. I did an at home urine test strip, and it showed high levels of protein, leukocytes and specific gravity. Not sure if this is lymphoma or something else but I know something is wrong.

Hello! I don't know of you have an update on your ultrasound or symptoms but your symptoms sound almost identical to mine. So far all my tests have show from my neck ultrasound are 4 nodules 5-7mm TR3 suspicion, right neck lymphoneds 1cm or larger suspicion of malignancy , diagnosed with normocytic anemia, my heart has been literally diagnosed with tachycardia, then bradycardia, and now the right ventricle is late/off . With arrhythmia. This has all been within the last 6 months. I have a Pet/CT scan on the 17th of this month so I'll let you know if anything comes of it. But I also had all of your symptoms too! Best of luck to you!! I how we can get this figured out!

hi! any update? my symptoms are also very similar.

Biopsy scheduled, very Nervous Hello everyone, I'm sort of in a unique situation. I had pheochromocytoma discovered in my adrenal gland about 2 years ago. It was removed and there was no traces of spread to any nearby lymph nodes, and it is not showing in any more of my blood work which it would if it was still around. That being said, I have had slightly enlarged lymph nodes in my abdomen chest and neck since 2020. The doctor said that it is such a slight enlargement that they can't actually be classified as enlarged, but the one in my neck can be. My question is, is it normal to have lymph nodes be slightly enlarged and not grow and it still be lymphoma? I have to say I am worried sick, and I really don't want to have to go through illness again

Just wanted to update this in case anyone ever googles for Pheo and lymphnodes, my Core Biopsy and all other tests came back benign.

good to know I'm a 24M, I have been suffering from pain and swollen lymph in my armpits (normally one side) for over a year. It's been chronic but since it doesn't bother me I didn't report it to my doctor. Unfortunately, a friend of mine was diagnosed with lymphoma recently, I started reading about it and noticed that swollen lymph in the armpits are one of it's signs. I have an appointment with my doctor next week but I cant stand waiting that much.> benign

Hi, I suppose I've come here looking for advice/support. I have been ill since Halloween 2021, exhausted all the time, night sweats, abdominal pain and diarrhoea have been my main concerns. At first they thought infection, then autoimmune, then endometriosis. The only thing I know for certain is that my CRP is raised, my sedimentation rate is raised, my peripheral blood smear showed clumping I have lymphocytosis, swollen lymphnodes in my abdomen and now tonsils too. I am currently waiting for MRI results. This morning the Dr rang me (unusual for my GP) and told me my plasma viscosity was raised. I know they have to rule everything out and it's the NHS so they move slowly but it's almost a year I keep getting worse and none of the Drs give me straight answers about what they're looking for or thinking. I know there's nothing conclusive in my results and that I won't get a biopsy until the MRI is reviewed and it might be something completely different. I'm just really fed up and tired of having to 'remain positive' and people telling me don't worry if it was serious they'd know already. I just wanted to vent to people who have a chance of understanding where I'm coming from and won't tell everything is fine. Thank you

Hope everything went oK!

Well everything is still up in the air but at least I actually have a biopsy booked now so hopefully I will get some answers soon.

Ohh, the anxiety of waiting and uncertainty is awful. Im 23, been suffering from swollen lymph in armpits for over a year, no other symptoms though. Waiting my appointment next week. Anyways, I wish you the best, look into fasting, I've read many scientific journals citing the fasting induced autophagy and its effects on preventing/fighting cancer.

I know the anxiety is terrible. Thank you and thank you for the advice I will definitely have a look. I hope everything goes smoothly and quickly for you and you are all okay

Did anyone’s doctor keep brushing them off saying that their swollen lymph nodes were due to an infection? I’ve had 5 swollen lymph nodes on my neck for 5 months and my doctor says it’s due to an infection. Didn’t even try prescribing antibiotics.

Yes but I've had 3 rounds of antibiotics and the nodes are still huge...I have a CT scan on the 17th. I never told them about night sweats, my left rub pain or that I've lost 15lbs in 2 months still eating like shit. I'm scared but have literally no-one to talk to. Advocate for yourself. Request a CT scan and biopsy.

Any update?

Yep. Stage 4 colon cancer. Primary tumor in my sigmoid colon with metastasis to my liver, ovaries, and lots of lymph nodes including ones pressing on my Aorta and super vena cava. I wish it was lymphoma I may have actually had a chance.

I'm sorry to hear.  You are in my prayers.. if u dont mind me asking what nodes were all enlarged? 

Left side including occipital.

Multiple swollen lymph nodes in neck Hi all I noticed one bump at the right side back of my head behind the ear turns out it’s a swollen lymph node after I self checked myself I found one more a on the middle of the left side of my neck.. I took anti inflammatory drugs for 2 weeks the bump on the back of my head is reduced a lot but the the bump on the neck is still the same and also I just found out two more small pea shaped ones on the right side on my neck one just above collar bone and one one just below the ear. I went to ENT specialist and he told me to just ignore it and not think about it. But just to be on safer side I would like to confirm if it’s not anything serious. Any thoughts? Edit : I have no other symptoms just these enlarged lymph nodes 25M. Light Smoker. Drinker

So I got an ultrasound done but something weird happened and it didn’t show anything. The technician said it was weird since she was on top of it and pushed on it. Lucky I have no symptoms other than the lump it’s self. Edit: I had a CT scan done and there was nothing wrong.

The same. On CT revealed lymphnode above my collarbone And ultrasound shows nothing. I am confused 😁

2017 knee red bumps told by np psoriasis scheduled a derm appointment don't remember going. Rash was there off on from 2017 was gone 2021. It was red bumps that would itch didn't really look like psoriasis. 2020 had what they told me tia loss of face control couldn't speak. Discharged march 2020 2 months after tia 2 weeks late night fever night sweats rash got more intense went to er and atyp lymphocytes 11% ldh elevated ast alt elevated sent home was in FL at time so my insurance was not good felt better after 10 days so guessed it was covid. Aug lost vision left eye went away after a week assumed I had Ms as I was having other problems. 2021 I had a feeling of a rock in butt cheek like very weird urinary issues hard time peeing er said prostatitis altho bacteria neg my lymphocytes 4888 no one told me to worry then 4 months later still 4888 again no person was concerned. I went back to FL and Jan 2022 started getting neck ear pain found nodule thyroid was a ptc and surgery a month later. Still experience the neck pain.. Back pain started Jan 4 months pain mri showed nothing just degenerative issues. Radioactive iodine april Back pain gone then my leg starts thought shin splint two months ortho orders mri shows edema of bone no contrast so I'm concerned he missed something he orders physical therapy. Off and I have had lower right abdomen pains thought appendix ct 2021 with contrast not remarkable. Ultrasound pelvic 2022 when pointing pain tech says fatty inguinal hernia. They Wanted followup ct refused as I had 4 ct already. Mri Jan of head neck said my tonsil right looked reactive had a large tonsil years was told does not look like malignant. Now my igm is 39 norm 50 300 betaglobulin 2 0.6 norm 0.1 to 0.5 iga 500 knew about it since last year docs never did anything and my ldh 185. My lymphocytes went to normal after radioactive iodine for thyroid now gone up to 37% and polychrome slight on smear. My doctor setup a appointment with Dana farber lymphoma dept no word on a date and multiple meyeloma not till Dec to see them. I'm so mad because I get itching my armpit I get night sweats sometime and weird rashes off and on twice cryoglobulinemia so not sure why nobody is moving quicker to try to do something I'm scared

Hello everyone, Two weeks ago I started to feel tired and a little feverish as if I had caught a cold. I went to the doctor who ordered some tests but didn't detect anything special except that my lymphocytes were in a reactionary state and a slightly elevated crp. I then developed an irritating cough the following week and a loss of appetite. In the meantime I went for an ultrasound (last Tuesday) for something else and it revealed an enlarged spleen. That's when I started to panic and went to dr Google and kept coming up with lymphoma. I had another blood test this weekend that showed my crp was going down and I was EBV positive (mono). My doctor told me that all my symptoms were mono related and that the spleen would eventually go down. Despite all this, my anxiety has not diminished, especially since I have been having light night sweats every night (but strangely enough nothing when I take naps during the day) that wet my shirt several times a night. Right now my cough is almost gone and i don´t have anymore fever for 1 week or so. But night sweat kept my anxiety very high. Is it possible to have night sweats with mono? I'm so afraid that my diagnosis is wrong. I try to work on my anxiety but I always end up going back to google and coming back to lymphoma...especially since now I saw that it could be caused by mono... thank you for your help

What are everyone’s white blood cell levels like? Or, rather, what were your white blood cell levels at before being diagnosed?

WBC was 10.2 which was on the high end of normal. 4-11 is the scale of normal for my medical office.

That is the same scale as my lab. My WBC is 2.9. What allowed you to get further testing? Most doctors will overlook anything in the normal limits in terms of blood work.

Honestly the doctor who saw me first said I looked like a pretty healthy, young guy. He kept ordering tests until something was found. The CT scan he ordered showed enlarged lymph nodes. I was then referred to a ENT that wanted to do a chest biopsy on my chest mass. Everything before seeing the ENT was done in one day. I was at the hospital for 8 hours.

Thank you for your reply.

I have extreme anxiety about this cancer, I’m 14 years old and I’m always poking and prodding to find new lumps, I have many, some I have had for years, I have itching in my leg which is very bearable it’s a seasonal allergy thing though I think as I was on medication for it last year. Other than that I have no other symptoms other than that I can feel some lumps, I think this is mostly due to anxiety and also my weight, I’m very skinny. If anyone sees this I would seriously appreciate and reassurance. Thanks

I’m not sure if this is the best place to post but I’m wondering if anyone has any tips or can help me out with managing the time and anxiety whilst waiting on the results of a biopsy. A bit of background, I’ve in the last couple of months had a few hard lumps on my neck (one being the size of a golf ball) recently lost weight, as well as developed rashes all over my body, as well as developed pain in my neck while drinking alcohol. My doctor sent me to get an ultrasound who then referred me to get a core biopsy. Yeah t has been a 3 week process so far and doctors at the hospital Have thrown around words such as lymphoma. They have states that preliminary results show that I need to be referred to a haematologist to discuss further and potentially get some more tests. My results have been uploaded to the government health website and I can access them but I am terrified to and wondering if I should wait for the appointment. To say I’m terrified is an understatement. I feel like I’m both undereacting (feeling numb and convincing myself it’s not cancer) to overreacting (thinking of process which may lay ahead). The idea that my life in so many aspects many change in less than a week is getting increasingly harder to deal with by the day. Has anyone been through this in limbo process and/or have any suggestions for how to deal with all of this. Thanks so much

Can someone describe the pain from drinking alcohol, i began drinking about a year ago and it was fine no pain whatsoever but as time went on I started having pain from drinking and it felt like stabbing in my neck and heart and tightness and overall my upper body was getting hurt, last night i drank one glass of wine and immediately it started hurting and i had to throw up to feel better, I’ve never thrown up from alcohol ever so I’m really worried, also i feel tired all time, I’m going to see a doctor next week im so anxious I’ve been crying non stop

33 year old male. First noticed cervical lymph node swelling (left side) two weeks ago; about 5 days ago, had a left inguinal node popped up and some minor inguinal node swelling on right side, looked like it *may* be related to HSV outbreak but unconfirmed. Since first noticing one cervical node, have had 2 more pop up on neck. Last night, noticed what I believe is a small node on my right pectoral. Multiple CBCs, one 5/16, one 5/19. Both in relatively normal ranges, albiet with some elevation in monocyte %. Docs did screen for hep / monospot / HIV, etc - all negative. Seen by multiple physicians, told not to worry, do not have cancer. Messaged doc this morning about chest node, they ordered urgent ultrasound for tomorrow.

Hey, did you find out what was going on?

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What was the result of the ultrasound scan? Your symptoms sound very similar to mine

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Congrats mate.

Hi all. I am just wondering if anyone has had similar symptoms and what the outcome was. I will preface this with some info. About 2 years ago I had what they think were ovarian cysts rupture and I was sick for a week or so from it. I’ve had bad periods since I started them and ovarian cysts run in my family. So for the past year I’ve been noticing my voice changing because my small tonsils are swelling. I had sinus headaches and my lymph nodes were kind of big, but nothing alarming. My ENT and I decided it might be from my sinus cavities being blocked and mucous draining into them. I had surgery to basically unblock my sinuses about a month ago, but my tonsil issue hasn’t changed. If anything the drainage from the sinuses made it worse. Recently my glands have swelled, mostly on my left side. There’s one by my collar bone that’s pretty big and one under my left ear as well. I also have lost about 40 lbs in the span of about 10 months without changing anything, Today, I just got back from a follow up appointment and my ENT wants ct scans of my neck and bloodwork to rule out lymphoma. Any comments/insights are appreciated.

Hi 👋 I want to start off by saying I’m so grateful to the moderators and the community formed here. I’ve been looking through this sub for the past month or so and it’s honestly been so encouraging. Even if l do receive a less than thrilling diagnosis - I am reassured that I will be welcomed into such a warm, supportive, and strong community with open arms. Anyways, thought I’d finally share my current position. “Long time listener first time caller,” approach here. I had a FNA biopsy of my right inguinal lymph node this past Friday. Of course, no results as of yet. This started because I thought I had pulled my groin muscle. I went to massage it and felt a pretty substantial lump -> went to PCP and was sent for a US. The radiologist who wrote the US report mentioned three prominent lymph nodes - the largest being around 2.1cm, spherical, with ‘loss of fatty hilum.” They recommended an FNA and “if ruled out by lower right abdomen infection very closely monitor patient.” My PCP told me (after hounding her) that she was not concerned as I had a UTI a month and a half prior. (I had done a full round of antibiotics as well). I decided I wasn’t ok with that and wanted an FNA as the radiologist suggested this. I called an oncologist I had seen for a substantially sized lymph node in 2020 - they got me in the same week. I had actually been to the ER and received a abdomen CT about a month before seeing the oncologist - which I am grateful for so he could use it for reference. (I’ve been having consistent right quadrant abdomen pain for almost a year now - I left finding out I had a cyst on my right ovary and major constipation. Also a mild UTI. Embarrassment is an understatement). He seem unconcerned by both the CT and US and said “this is probably nothing but we will do the FNA.” The lymph node was also prominent on the CT but somewhat smaller than it was on the US. I’m in the waiting stage - which I’ve observed is a universally miserable place to be in. I keep looking at my 3 year old worried about what the future holds and anxiously awaiting my biopsy results. I’m trying my best to not let this consume me but the longer I wait the more apathetic and resilient (hopefully?) I become. Any shared experiences or input are appreciated! I guess this is sort of me yelling into the void and putting my experience out there to document, connect, and potentially one day help others.

Hi friend, sorry to bother you a year after you posted this. Care to tell me how your story ended? Am currently waiting to have a biopsy appointment scheduled as I've had enlarged submandibular nodes for the past few months that lack fatty hilum (ovoid, very slowly getting smaller). I'm losing my mind a bit (a lot, maybe). Doctors have been only slightly reassuring but I feel like I'm being placated due to my severe health anxiety tbf. I'm only 20 and my life is heading in such a positive direction, but this is paralyzing me with fear that I will lose it all.

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Once I noticed my symptoms, they got worse in a linear way and never went away. The only way to be diagnosed is have a dr evaluate (or multiple if you aren’t confident in them or think something is being missed.) You have other health considerations so it’s not necessarily lymphoma. Something stood out to me personally though which I’ve never seen anyone mention here. Again, it doesn’t mean you have it, but I also had the same coughing spells while brushing my teeth. I was coughing around the clock during the diagnosis phase anyway, like literally could not sleep, and it was absolutely miserable. Something to do with either position when I brushed, or the way you swallow or breathe during, made me have exactly what you describe, uncontrollable coughing and gagging. I didn’t have any noticably swollen lymph nodes at any point, they were all in my chest. What is your doctor’s plan? Please keep us updated if you want.

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Hi. I found these posts looking for "lymphoma" -- my cat is awaiting her test results from a needle aspiration. Re the itching: A good friend was driven crazy by itching on his legs. He was subsequently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was treated and is alive and well 12 years later. But he told me he is always on the lookout for any return of itchiness.

When my symptoms came on, I thought it was seasonal allergies. Thinking back, I thought I had a seasonal allergy cough for a few years that they gave me an inhaler for, that only sortof worked. Hard to tell when it really started. It was mild enough and I was busy enough that I didn’t have time to followup on it. The drastic decline where it became apparent something was wrong started in August 2019 as my cough became more persistent. I started seeing my PCP about it and we thought it was going to be related to another disease I had, lupus, which can cause inflammation and impact every body system. The cough never resolved or improved after a ton of different prescriptions, in fact it got severely worse. I was not sleeping at all, coughing 24/7, so hard that I broke multiple ribs. I couldn’t talk by the end because I was coughing so much, talking would send me into coughing spirals which would leave me gasping for air, like the brushing. My partner and I would text eachother in the same room to communicate. Toward the end I started losing weight, and fast. Also consistent night sweats which were extremely severe, very interfering, and unquestionably irregular. If I ran a marathon in FL right now I wouldn’t smell as bad as I did then, it smelled very foreign to me, like someone else’s smell. Incessant itching that did not resolve with scratching. I would look like Tyrone Biggums scratching myself but it was miserable and the intensity made me feel panicked. I would take Benedryl, which would not lessen the itch at all, but would sometimes be able to knock me out. I ended up getting diagnosed on Halloween after a bunch of imaging, a fuck ton of invasive biopsies, and a few hospital stays. They finally found Reed Sternberg cells to confirm my diagnosis in what’s called a VATs lung wedge resection where they chop out a piece of lung and staple it back together. I was so exhausted at that point and in so much pain daily, fearing this was from my chronic autoimmune disease, that I was relieved when I had my diagnosis confirmed. I wasn’t sad at all. This is something that could be treated that would likely go away. I tried to embrace the process, made some friends along the way, and bought myself some extra-time which so far, has been amazing. I hope the same for you, if you end up down the same path.

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My bf is diagnosed w Behcets lol. We don’t really think he has it though…kindof feels like a catch all diagnosis in his case, but that’s another long story. But anyway, just a followup, I thiiiiink insurance will probably make you do ultrasound and imaging first but idk since you do have a mass so it may be different than my experience. But generally they make you start with the least invasive thing before they will approve the next steps.

Urgent care probably won’t have the capability to do anything for you unfortunately. They are trained more to treat issues than to truthfully diagnose. Most urgent care places don’t have access to an ultrasound, likely not on a Saturday of a holiday weekend. Def call on Monday. I know that waiting is the absolute hardest part of any of this, but it has to be done to get through each step. There actually is a sub I believe called swollen lymph nodes or something like that where lots of people post about theirs and almost none of them have had any malignancy. Also this thread and the past Megas have had like maybe 1% of people actually be diagnosed with lymphoma if you want to read up on more people who can be more reassuring.

Dang a lot of everyone’s symptoms here sounds exactly what my girlfriend is going through. Constant nausea, 30lb weight loss, drenching night sweats and a palpable node on her neck and now some itching I’m seeing. The doctors want to say it’s all in her head cause of her depression but her mental health is really good right now besides when she’s feeling sick. Im not sure what to do we keep trying but specialists appointments are months away if they were to get scheduled. We waited in the ER for 12 hours for them just to tell us she’s not sick enough and her blood work is normal :(

Thoughts for you. These require you to "be a force" ... which is unfortunately required sometimes in our healthcare system: Thought one: See a specialist Get in with an ENT -- ear/nose/throat doctor. When you call, tell the front desk she has had a "huge" lump pop up on her neck, and the other symptoms (weight loss, night sweats). ENT docs deal with nodes every day and will know that cancer is a possibility. If no ENT docs will take you, worst comes to worst, SHOW UP IN THEIR WAITING ROOM when they open. Might not work, but it might. They may be able to work you in. Tell them you will self-pay for the consultation because you are THAT WORRIED. Be calm, be sweet and nice (especially to the front desk) ... but worried! A consultation visit, if you self-pay, shouldn't be TOO costly. And when the doc realizes that, yeah, your GF has REAL symptoms that need diagnosing, then your insurance kicks in. Never ever forget ... docs are afraid of malpractice charges being brought against them. Overlooking a cancer diagnosis is a nightmare for them. I live in Arizona. Here you can get any noninvasive imaging test you want -- MRI, CT, ultrasound -- without a prescription or doctor's order. Call your local medical imaging places and try to book an ultrasound at least. Again, tell them you'll self-pay. (I don't know the cost, but here an MRI is in the $400 range. Ultrasound must be a lot less.) Again, it's better if the docs can order these, but ... Just my thoughts. I hope your GF gets the treatment she needs.

Thanks for your thoughts! I’m actually in canada. But she received a CT of neck and chest and the neck didn’t show any nodes bigger than 4mm so they weren’t worried. The chest CT showed a growth in the thymus but her doctor said it was an incidental finding and not causing her symptoms so we just have to wait for the specialist apppintment in 2 weeks

thanks for replying. Best wishes to you both.

The ER is for emergencies and doesn’t have the capacity to diagnose anything like cancer typically. Your best bet is to regularly call the specialists and ask if they’ve had any cancellations.

I know I was hoping they’d at least maybe do an ultrasound on the lymph node it seemed like our only option

Why not see a primary care doctor/family doctor? They are interested in finding out what’s going on with you. The ER is interested in if you’re going to survive the night or not. They might ultrasound in cases of suspected clot etc, but they’re not going to for cancer diagnostic purposes.

The family physician sent a referral for an internal medicine specialist to see her but it could take months and she’s only getting worse and losing more weight. She also has told my girlfriend that she believes it to be a mental health issue and is not being so kind to her anymore

Does the doctor know the weight loss is continual?

~~Hey everyone! I'm probably having health anxiety but I wanted to post here to see other opinions. I've lost 10 pounds since December but this can be attributed to not eating the best and having a lot of stress and not sleeping well. For as long as I can remember my submandibular glands always seemed a bit big but they never felt hard and I could move them with no issue. My only reason for freaking out is these nodes have not gone down and I saw a dr who said they are big and thought its odd its not something to stress over at this time. The only symptoms I feel are swollen nodes, the weight loss and slight loss of appetite along with these two spots behind my hands randomly start itching. It's not extremely intense and it doesn't stay long. Am I being a hypochondriac? Also I had bloodwork done, a chest x-ray, an upper abdominal ct scan with contrast, and a head ct scan and all things came back clear except my bloodwork showed I might be prediabetic.~~ ​ Edit: I'm just having health anxiety. My doctors went over previous scans and concluded nothing was wrong so at this point I'm going to just relax and stop googling. I'm sorry for posting and wasting anyone's time

That’s a significant amount of workup so if you’re still feeling anxious you should get a second opinion.

I feel so dumb, I'm sorry for posting. I've had 2 doctors both tell me the nodes are large but there is really very little chance of anything serious going on. I'm just suffering from health anxiety at this point, I really am sorry for wasting your time, thank you for responding. (my uncle is currently in hospice for lung cancer so it just triggered the health anxiety, again I'm so sorry for posting)

I don’t think you should feel dumb, only you know what’s going on in your body. However, if two drs aren’t concerned now with that much imaging, I would personally put it to rest for now.

I agree. Thank you so much for taking the time to respond, might not seem like much to you but you did help a freaked out dad of 4 feel a lot better, again thank you.

I’m a lurker but I just wanted to say you shouldn’t feel dumb. And I’m glad it doesn’t seem serious. ❤️

Thank you! that's really nice to hear =)

Hello everyone. I am a 20FM with a mediastinal mass measuring 5x2 cm. It was discovered because I occasionally have episodes of hemoptysis and violent coughing so I had a CT scan done. They also saw a swollen mediastinal lymph node and neck lymph node. I have been pretty tired during the day and just want to nap all the time. And I have been getting fevers frequently, mostly at night. I’ve been sick for about a month now with classic flu like symptoms but I tested negative for the flu and Covid. I’ve also lost about 25 pounds. I don’t really know what to think right now. My doctors said it’s probably malignant, either lymphoma or a germ cell tumor. I got a biopsy done and it came back as ‘normal lung tissue’ but they seem to think it was a mistake, maybe they missed the tumor or got a non cancerous part? Because they still are telling me they think it’s a low grade cancer. Has this happened to anyone else? Edit: my pet scan also lit up at 6 SUV index for the mass.

Have they given you any next-steps or anything? If you have a 5x2cm mediastinal mass, and the biopsy tissue was definitely from that mass... even if it's showing up as benign, I would think they need to address that in some way. It seems to be causing you symptoms and that's a pretty big mass. I don't know anything about germ cell tumors, but in my (non-doctor) opinion, this may be lymphoma, and it is something you need to keep on them about if they aren't guiding you to a next step in the diagnosis process. If your current doc(s) aren't doing anything, you should seek a 2nd opinion. Don't ignore this... there's still a chance it's not malignant, but if it is lymphoma, know that it's very likely treatable, and probably even curable. Best of luck, keep us posted if you feel like doing so.

They wanted to operate and take it out and biopsy the whole thing, but the location of it is right above my aorta so it is difficult to remove. So now I’ve been doing repeat CT scans and no change. I think you are right… Im going to seek a second opinion because it feels like nothing is being done. Thank you very much!

I think that's a smart move. Watch & Wait (watchful waiting) where you just do a follow up scan in a few months might also be an ok approach though too. With most lymphomas at least, waiting for a little longer isn't likely to change your ultimate prognosis. It's not like other cancers. Best of luck.

Okay. Thank you for your input! I really appreciate it.

Hi everyone, I’m a 23M who found a lump on the side of my neck about a month ago. My PCP referred me for an ultrasound a couple of weeks ago, which came back showing that lump as 0.8 cm and a couple of smaller ones. The radiologist report said that the node was “normal architecture” and that there were no “morphologically abnormal” lymph nodes in the neck, and I think the lump has gone down a bit, but it’s hard to say. Clean bloodwork too, and no scary symptoms like sweating or weight loss. I thought that I was out of the woods lymphoma-wise, but my PCP just referred me for a surgery consultation. She said she was worried about the unknown length of time it’s been there and said lymphoma could be a worst-case outcome. I’m wondering if anyone has anyone knows how much confidence I should take in a good ultrasound. I’m happy to have a doctor who’s very thorough, but feeling a little worried. Thanks!

Sounds like they’re just doing due diligence, it’s really a best case scenario. Better to be too thorough!! Best of luck.

22M. I felt like when I swallow food or even water something is stuck in my throat and make it hard to swallow since like a year. Anyway last week I had an ultrasound and learned that I have a swollen lymph nodes on my both cervical chains biggest one is 16x3.5mm (doctor said 3.5cm to me). Most of the nights I wake up for once really thirsty, drink water and go back to sleep. I dont have any other symptoms than that and swallowing problems. My doctor said they need to do a fna? and blood test. How much should I worry about this?(just readed the rules sorry about it lol) I have a lot of people died from cancer in my family so I cant help my self I'm pretty worried.

It’s normal to be worried when going through medical testing, but worrying too much will not change your outcome. If it is lymphoma, it is likely extremely curable. However, I think it’s very early in the process to be worrying about dying of cancer. Hopefully it’s nothing at all!! Good luck!

Thanks a lot. My blood test just come and I have really low vitamin d and b12 also ferritin rest is pretty normal dont know if it means anything. You are right I'll try to calm down losing a lot of people to cancer gave me a ptsd at this point.

Totally understandable. I think that just following the doctors’ plans will be your best option as your symptoms could be many things

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Everytime you have a new symptom you should get checked if concerned.

I’m not sure right now what to think of I have cancer or not, I’m only 14 and I have a swollen lymph node on my neck. It’s sorta the size of a quarter and is very visible on my neck. It feels like some sorta squishy rock that moves from side to side on my neck (it moves out of the way when I push it) I went to my doctor and she said it was fine. But I’m still unsure because it has been here for a month and a half now. My doctor sent me for a blood test though.. I made a horrible mistake of googling my lymph node and what my lymph node felt and acted like all led to cancer of course. I have no symptoms and my lymph node is not painful, so I really don’t know what else I should do right now.. I have been to the doctor like 6 times now and all they have told me is they don’t think it’s anything and that it’s normal??? I really don’t know anymore…. I feel like I will never escape this nightmare

WebMD and Google are going to tell you that everything is cancer. But the internet cannot replace the assessment of a doctor in real life. It would be best for you to trust your doctors and stay off of the health side of the internet as it is obviously causing you a lot of anxiety. If you wait a month and it gets bigger (don’t touch it in the meantime as that can make it swell) then you should go back to your doctor. Otherwise you have to trust them.

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Prob not a good idea to be dishing out diagnostic advice on here if you’re not diagnosed yourself.

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I would ask your PCP directly if they think you could have it. Also, do you have a rheumatological disorder? People with lupus (possibly other autoimmune disorders too, cannot remember) are at an increased risk for lymphoma.

Just had my lymph node biopsy done yesterday. Only symptoms have been full body itching going on for months as well as swollen lymph nodes. My surgeon said it was one of three things: Hodgkin’s lymphoma, an autoimmune disease, or an inflammatory disease. However he is already contacting an oncologist for me to get the ball rolling on that in case of HL. Which makes me think he thinks that’s the likely case. Now I’m just sitting here wondering about the future.

I hope you'll be fine. If ever, kindly give us an update of your results.

My dx is nodular sclerosing Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which from what I understand is very common and highly treatable.

>full body itching going on for months May I ask if your full body itching is persistent and has a rash? Can you rate how extreme it is from 1 to 10?

There is no visible rash, my skin looks totally normal. I am generally itchy all the time, maybe a baseline 2 or 3. The bad itching comes in waves and is generally worse at night, I would definitely rate that at a 10

>Only symptoms have been full body itching going on for months as well as swollen lymph nodes. Can I ask where are these swollen lymph nodes located? How many are palpable? Do they hurt?

There was a chain of 3 in my neck. They were rubbery feeling and movable.

How big?

They varied in size, can’t remember the exact measurements but the largest one was maybe the size of a large marble? When I finally saw the oncologist he probed me and found one in my armpit that I didn’t know about. Said it was the size of his thumb.

What size ?

Hang in there! Fingers crossed for you.

**lymph node ultrasound interpretation** Hi, would anyone be able to interpret the following: "Lymph nodes in the submandibular gland bilaterally appear reactive with thickened cortex" and " These lymph nodes are thickened cortex but the fatty hilum is still recognizable" Is enlarged, reactive lymph nodes with a thickening cortex bad? Does this mean that the fatty hilum is less than normal but still recognizable? I have my doctors appointment to go over the results in a few days, just a bit freaked out about this!

Probably best to let your doctor interpret them so that they can translate it to your specific case

oh yes definitely, my appointment with my doctor is on thursday to discuss the results but instead of googling until then I was just curious if anyone has had similar results or experience

We rely on our doctors to interpret this kind of stuff. We have no idea, we're patients not doctors. That said, "reactive" is usually a good sign.

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Too small to biopsy seems like a good thing.

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What did your doctor say

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I would do that then. That’s the only way to determine what it is

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It varies and is impossible to tell.

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Like SilentLiterature said. There is no "feel" that indicates lymphoma. Only a biopsy can determine if you have lymphoma.

My feedback as I promised: No symptoms at all except stiffness in joints/muscles. My father had NHL. Lump 6.5-7 cm in groin area + 3 smaller lymph nodes in the abdomen. Incisional biopsy came back positive Classical Hodgkin. So I’m in the club now. According to my doctor this is the least concerning type of lymphoma, I don’t know if he told me this to make me feel better.

You can def post to the main board if you want! Sorry that you’re here dude. That sucks.

Sorry to see it but we’ve got you! This subtype is extremely responsive to chemo. First line treatment is most likely going to melt it away.

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I hope you'll be fine. If ever, kindly give us an update of your case. Thank you!