The Student Room Group
Reply 1
Lump. That's it, as far as you can detect yourself.

For more internal stuff, for example brain cancer, there's no way you can really check for yourself.

If you're worried about it, go see a GP.
Reply 3
Can range from anything to nothing!
There are sooooo many types of cancer and each has different symptoms. With my dads hodgkins lymphoma, he found a lump in his neck, and was feeling generally unwell, quite groggy, but nothing particularly horrenduous, if you're worried you should really just go to the doctor as soon as possible.
Reply 5
hi
I have recently found out that i have hodgkins disease and started chemo, the first one was awful and made me feel so bad, but the second one was much better the only probs i had was a headache and feeing of tired but i found a lump in my neck - heres what happened -
this is what happened -
about two weeks ago i was babysitting and i had an itch on my neck and felt two lumps. So off i went to the doctors and they said it was just lymph glands - we went through this 3 times and on the 3rd time seeing a different doctor we were transferred to another doctor. This was then at a hospital and i had to have an ultrasound on neck and chest xray, he then went through that and said how it could be a turmor as one node seemed oversized and there is a possibility it could be cancer but he wanted to do a biopsey to be sure of that. On monday i had a biopsey at the hospital and ended up staying in overnight, on the tuesday i had to have a ct scan so i had to drink this disgusting white stuff there was a jug full of it and i really couldn't manage the whole lot. Then today i went back to get my results of the biopsey and it turns out i have Hodgkins Disease i can't believe it - why me? i have just got over major scoliosis surgery and wearing a brace for 6 months that was bad enough and now this. I have got to have a bone marrow test next week to check its not spread there and then ill have to start chemo for 6 months which will mean ill loose my hair - i can't believe that either i have nice long hair and it took me years to grow it that long. so i will have to wear a wig and a friend says yesturday i will have a wig to go with every outfit i wear.
My mum had breast and thyroid cancer when i was 9 and that was really hard, the worst bit was being told i'l loose my hair. Im just so upset and it still hasn't even sunk into me yet.
Just trying to stay positive - had two chemos already and the next ones on thursday.
Is there anyone else out there that has hodgkins? if so please get in touch with me it would be good to hear and talk to you!
Reply 6
Natalie561
hi
I have recently found out that i have hodgkins disease and started chemo, the first one was awful and made me feel so bad, but the second one was much better the only probs i had was a headache and feeing of tired but i found a lump in my neck - heres what happened -
this is what happened -
about two weeks ago i was babysitting and i had an itch on my neck and felt two lumps. So off i went to the doctors and they said it was just lymph glands - we went through this 3 times and on the 3rd time seeing a different doctor we were transferred to another doctor. This was then at a hospital and i had to have an ultrasound on neck and chest xray, he then went through that and said how it could be a turmor as one node seemed oversized and there is a possibility it could be cancer but he wanted to do a biopsey to be sure of that. On monday i had a biopsey at the hospital and ended up staying in overnight, on the tuesday i had to have a ct scan so i had to drink this disgusting white stuff there was a jug full of it and i really couldn't manage the whole lot. Then today i went back to get my results of the biopsey and it turns out i have Hodgkins Disease i can't believe it - why me? i have just got over major scoliosis surgery and wearing a brace for 6 months that was bad enough and now this. I have got to have a bone marrow test next week to check its not spread there and then ill have to start chemo for 6 months which will mean ill loose my hair - i can't believe that either i have nice long hair and it took me years to grow it that long. so i will have to wear a wig and a friend says yesturday i will have a wig to go with every outfit i wear.
My mum had breast and thyroid cancer when i was 9 and that was really hard, the worst bit was being told i'l loose my hair. Im just so upset and it still hasn't even sunk into me yet.
Just trying to stay positive - had two chemos already and the next ones on thursday.
Is there anyone else out there that has hodgkins? if so please get in touch with me it would be good to hear and talk to you!


I'm so sorry you had to go through that. :hugs:

I'm a tad worried, because I've got a pea sized lump behind one of my ears, and the doctor instantly upon touching it said: "Swollen lymph node." I know I should trust him, but from what you've said you can see they sometimes get it wrong.
Reply 7
There isnt always a lump... it depends on the type of cancer.
i have a bumpy thing on my neck- its like directly below where my toungue is, its like a little ball- its been there for ages- about 6-7 months now. doctor said its nothing to be worried about- should i get it checked again?
Natalie561
hi
I have recently found out that i have hodgkins disease and started chemo, the first one was awful and made me feel so bad, but the second one was much better the only probs i had was a headache and feeing of tired but i found a lump in my neck - heres what happened -
this is what happened -
about two weeks ago i was babysitting and i had an itch on my neck and felt two lumps. So off i went to the doctors and they said it was just lymph glands - we went through this 3 times and on the 3rd time seeing a different doctor we were transferred to another doctor. This was then at a hospital and i had to have an ultrasound on neck and chest xray, he then went through that and said how it could be a turmor as one node seemed oversized and there is a possibility it could be cancer but he wanted to do a biopsey to be sure of that. On monday i had a biopsey at the hospital and ended up staying in overnight, on the tuesday i had to have a ct scan so i had to drink this disgusting white stuff there was a jug full of it and i really couldn't manage the whole lot. Then today i went back to get my results of the biopsey and it turns out i have Hodgkins Disease i can't believe it - why me? i have just got over major scoliosis surgery and wearing a brace for 6 months that was bad enough and now this. I have got to have a bone marrow test next week to check its not spread there and then ill have to start chemo for 6 months which will mean ill loose my hair - i can't believe that either i have nice long hair and it took me years to grow it that long. so i will have to wear a wig and a friend says yesturday i will have a wig to go with every outfit i wear.
My mum had breast and thyroid cancer when i was 9 and that was really hard, the worst bit was being told i'l loose my hair. Im just so upset and it still hasn't even sunk into me yet.
Just trying to stay positive - had two chemos already and the next ones on thursday.
Is there anyone else out there that has hodgkins? if so please get in touch with me it would be good to hear and talk to you!


hey
Havent had Hodgkins but did have Leukaemia when i was 9ish, which is treated in a vaguely similar way. Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions/anything you want to talk about. I don't check TSR all that much these days (too busy with Uni exams) but i will reply eventually!
Reply 10
Well it depends if you are male or female, as obviously men of a studentish age should be looking out for the symptomns of things like testicular and prostate cancer, whereas women are susceptible to Ovarian and breast moreso, so it depends on the type of cancer really. But like suggested, check out NHS direct. Call the free hotline too, its so easy to do and could be a lifesaver.
NSiky
Lump. That's it, as far as you can detect yourself.

For more internal stuff, for example brain cancer, there's no way you can really check for yourself.

If you're worried about it, go see a GP.

thats complete bull. in alot of cancers there is no lump and the first symptom is often something else like pain, nausea, tingling, increased susceptibility to disease (liek recurrent infections).
the list is pretty endless, but every much mof medical training is to be able to spot these so called 'red flag' symptoms.
Reply 12
RobbieC
Well it depends if you are male or female, as obviously men of a studentish age should be looking out for the symptomns of things like testicular and prostate cancer, whereas women are susceptible to Ovarian and breast moreso, so it depends on the type of cancer really. But like suggested, check out NHS direct. Call the free hotline too, its so easy to do and could be a lifesaver.


Yeah it really varies. Ovarian is so difficult to detect because although a woman may feel like crap, she doesn't feel any pain until the tumour inside her grows and starts to press against other organs and nerves. Of course by this time the cancer is likely to have spread and is therefore more difficult to treat...the "silent killer" they call it. This is why we have to be VERY familiar with our own bodies and trust our own judgement when we feel off colour.
Reply 13
suuuuuuseh
I'm so sorry you had to go through that. :hugs:

I'm a tad worried, because I've got a pea sized lump behind one of my ears, and the doctor instantly upon touching it said: "Swollen lymph node." I know I should trust him, but from what you've said you can see they sometimes get it wrong.


I am in a similar situation, since I have a lump in my cheek about the size of a small bouncy ball, and the doctor said it was a lymph node - although that was eight years ago and I have had no major symptoms since, so most doctors should be right in these cases, although I would imagine that sometimes it is difficult to tell unless the lump is continually monitored.
Reply 14
Natalie561
hi

My mum had breast and thyroid cancer when i was 9 and that was really hard, the worst bit was being told i'l loose my hair. Im just so upset and it still hasn't even sunk into me yet.
Just trying to stay positive - had two chemos already and the next ones on thursday.
Is there anyone else out there that has hodgkins? if so please get in touch with me it would be good to hear and talk to you!


I am very sorry to hear that you are so ill. I don't have Hodgkin's disease myself, but have experience with the treatment of cancer patients.
Hodgkin's is one of the types of cancer that can be treated very well with
chemo and the chances of getting rid of it once and for all are very high. So even if you are going through the traumatic experience of facing a possibly terminal illness and all the unpleasant sideeffects such as losing your hair, chances are extremely high that you will 100% fine after treatment.
Your hair will grow again and often it comes back nicer than before. Here a lot of young people don't wear wigs but wrap a scarf round their head. This makes them feel less "old" (somehow wigs seem to be associated with elder people). Many people know about chemotherapies and losing hair so they can accept a scarf as a sign someone is undergoing a treatment (a bit like sitting in a wheelchair)
I do wish you all the best and loads of help from parents and friends! You will get through it and it will have been worth it in the end.
Take care.
Well not really, because the OP isn't a doctor. Sure, you could go on listing possible symptoms of cancer for days, but that's not really any help here, is it? Initial symptoms, as far as most people are concerned, are things which say "You could have cancer here, go get it checked out." Not headaches and having a bad cough. Getting people worried about having cancer every time they get a cold, based on the minute chance they might have cancer from those symptoms, is hardly something you should be encouraging. But I guess you'll realise that eventually if you want to make a succesful doctor.
NSiky
Well not really, because the OP isn't a doctor. Sure, you could go on listing possible symptoms of cancer for days, but that's not really any help here, is it? Initial symptoms, as far as most people are concerned, are things which say "You could have cancer here, go get it checked out." Not headaches and having a bad cough. Getting people worried about having cancer every time they get a cold, based on the minute chance they might have cancer from those symptoms, is hardly something you should be encouraging. But I guess you'll realise that eventually if you want to make a succesful doctor.

you seem to really be missing the point that my intial comment was only that a lump is not always (often even usually) the first symptom, and that patients - not just doctors are told to look out for certain symptoms. whether it be bleeding, headaches in the morning or changes in bowel habit.
As the inital poster didn't specify which cancer, i thought it prudent to point out that many cancers have a non-lump first presentation which one should look out for and see one's GP about if worried.

Certainly there is nothing more bothersome than the worried well, but I'd rather a hoard of worried well if it meant that one person with morning headaches came in early enough for us to actually treat, rather than simply shrugging it off.
Reply 17
Robot Chicken
As the inital poster didn't specify which cancer, i thought it prudent to point out that many cancers have a non-lump first presentation which one should look out for and see one's GP about if worried.
skin cancer, but I wanted to know the general symptoms. thank you, you seem to know what you're talking about . :smile:
Anonymous
skin cancer, but I wanted to know the general symptoms. thank you, you seem to know what you're talking about . :smile:

ahhh. well in that case my point is even more salient. see you doctor if i was you.
i don't go for that better safe than sorry stuff, but i do believe that its better to be calm than anxious. go put your mind at rest.