Painful Lump In My Neck

Hello. I have never posted here before but was hoping to gain some insight into what is going on with me. I know everyone says not to worry and people don't like to tell people it could be bad when they don't know what they are dealing with, but I just need straight honest answers.

 A few days ago my neck hurt pretty bad on the left side and I thought I must have slept funny or something. I was rubbing my neck and I felt a small pea sized lump. It is straight behind my ear and down about 3 inches. It feels like it is attached to a muscle in my neck. It is quite firm and doesn't move around very much. Most of the severe neck pain has gone away and I am left with a tender achy feeling. The lump is tender to the touch. I have had a mild headache every day since Saturday when I found it. I also had a sinus cold going on, but it seems to be gone today.

 I have a few other symptoms that I am not sure are related. I went to the Dr and when he felt the lymphnodes in my neck they were quite tender too. Also, for about six months now, when I shower, my back just behind my armpits hurts when I wash it. It feels like tender breast tissue would, but in my back. My breasts have been sort of tender most of my life. Also, I get stabbing pains just behind and below my left ear once or twice a month. I don't know if that can be related as I have had that for a few years, but I thought it was worth mentioning since it is in almost the same area.

The doctor felt my neck, but I know he didn't feel the lump because I have a hard time finding it myself and he only felt for a second. He prescribed some antibiotics and said if it didn't go away, I should come back. No explanation. Nothing. I think that he was just placating me because I tend to be a worry wart, but I know a lump and pain when I feel it.

Forgot to mention that my ear is aching ever so mildly today too.

I am just wondering if anyone has had similar symptoms and what the outcome was. I am not afraid to hear that it may be cancer, I already know that. I just want to know if I need a second opinion and need info to be proactive about my healthcare. Thanks for any insight.

I also have a lump in the same place and pain in the same area. I told my dr. and they don't seem to worried about it.  My lump got a little bit bigtger about size of a nickle and they still don't seem worried about it.  I even mentioned it to my neurologist and he wasn't worried either,  They say it is a fatty tumor that is not cancerous.

 WOW

That is all I can say after reading your post , I found my cancer by accident roughly 3 1/2 years ago by touching my gland area on my right side of my jaw. You discribed it perfectly as a little pea, I also called it that and a Bee Bee pellet.

My family Doctor wasn't sure about it, so he had me go to a Head and Neck Specialist, who started me off as if I had the flu just to eliminate that thought. Roughly 10 days and I was back and he did a Biopsy on that area. He had a hard time finding it as it was a small lump as you mentioned.  All the while, the clock was ticking and by the time I found out after the Biopsy, I was Stage 3 Base of Tongue cancer. The Head and Neck Specialist then sent me to another Specialist that I was very pleased with. Once meeting with him, it went very quickly.

Tumor on base of tongue and one lymph node involved.

Be very pro active about something that you may not know and do get another opinion. I felt that it was cancer from the get go, we know our bodies. I had a feeling and I was right. You might be also. I hope you are wrong, but be on the safe side of this.

My Best to You

I agree-WOW-because many H&N cancers are 1st discovered by a seemingly swollen or enlarged lymph node in the neck, Mine was excized by an ENT right away, because it was 3+ cm. The path was SCC, stage IV with 4 known lymph node involvements. (CT & PET to confirm) I had an unknown primary. I had ignored the lump quite some time, and it grew & spread. I would never make that mistake again. Be proactive and insist on whatever tests they will order to confirm that it is/or is not harmless. It's your life, and you call the shots! Best of luck, Gayle

Yeah, so I am not insane to think that antibiotics are ridiculous? I don't want unneccessary medication and I don't want to further destroy the use of antibiotics. I have no sign of infection at all. It's just a stupid thing to try given the circumstances in my opinion.

I agree with the others....be proactive.

I went to my GP for a sore/swollen throat that I thought was allergies. He didnt know what I had, but prescribed a course of antibiotics "just in case".

At least he knew what he didnt know and referred me to a topnotch ENT specialist who took one look at my throat and told me I had cancer. 

Get yourself to an ENT or a head/neck doctor and get another opinion. You need to do this asap. If it is cancer, better to deal with it sooner, rather than later.

Good luck and best wishes,

Mike

 

On 6/4/2008 weegie wrote:

I even mentioned it to my neurologist and he wasn't worried either,  They say it is a fatty tumor that is not cancerous.

How can they tell that it's a non-cancerous fatty tumor unless they take it out and look at it? Excisional biopsy, anyone?

My experience was the opposite: teeny breast lumps I could never find myself showed up on my mammograms, so they did the lumpectomy and found that they were non-cancerous fatty tumors.

And I knew a gay guy whose lover discovered the lump which turned out to be Hodgkins. No wonder your neurologist isn't worried. It's not his neck.

So I have a bit of an update. I was laying down and I found the lump in my neck and discovered that while laying down it is quite mobile. It moves back and forth at least an inch I would say. I don't know if that even makes a difference.

Also another thing that I thought of is that for a few weeks I have been itchy. Mostly on my trunk, arms and head. And no I don't have any weird bugs, thank you. Just thought it was kinda strange. I don't know if it could be related.

Thanks for all your advice so far.