multiple swollen lymph nodes in neck and scared it's lymphoma??

I have like 10 swollen lymph nodes in my neck and head. went to the gp and got bloods checked for any viruses and it came back normal. i have no other symptoms apart from these and headaches. i am spiralling rn thinking about the possibility its Hodgkin's Lymphoma. I'm too young to die

Reply 1

okayykayy

i promise you the gp would’ve have mentioned something if they were concerned, your bloods came back normal, and if there was a problem it would show up. you’re okay, they will go down :smile:

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 2

black tea

What did the GP say? Did you mention to them you were worried about lymphoma?

Reply 3

CatInTheCorner

Original post by Anonymous

go to your GP again and mention your concerns. It could turn out something more is going on, or the GP might be able to help with your worries

Reply 4

natalia09

For those saying doctor would flag it up...Im sorry i disagree. The first doctor i saw in a and e after my neck lump swelled up said not to worry and that I wont need treatment or procedures it will go away on its own. But knowing myself I felt off and went gp same day...where the doctor found not 1 but 7 lumps! and immediately referred me to suspected cancer referral. He told me thats the process and most people wont have it its the name. I was then given blood tests and x ray - came back all normal no sign of anything wrong....then had a biopsy done - extract some of the fluid/tissue from the area on my neck using needles - to be sent off for analysis...first review came back said no cancer. But it the goes through second review - it got sent to Oxford University hospitals where they discovered the cancer in another sample..not every sample taken may have the cancer the needle can just miss it too thats what the doctor said.

Lymphoma is blood cancer yes but it never is diagnosed through blood tests, it will never show up. Only a biopsy can, you should keep pushing for referral, doesnt matter if its infection or cancer biopsy can only tell!

Chemo doesnt mean dying, I was told lymphoma actually predominately affects young people 13 - 26/35, and stay hopeful and keep pushing for tests and scans! Good luck!!!!

Reply 5

Jo-T1994

I agree with the previous posts. Medicine, and associated medical practice, is tricky sometimes and seldom are diagnoses ever made using just 1 piece of clinical testing/knowledge. As a patient, it's always good to advocate for yourself and speak openly about the any concerns you may have, especially because it is a fundamental right that you have as a patient. Furthermore, as frightening as it may be to be experiencing all this uncertainty, it's generally always a better idea not to assume the worst. Lymphoma is objectively quite rare. I know that here in Canada, the occurrence of Hodgkin's lymphoma is only about 1% in the general populations per year.

Swollen lymph nodes can be implicated by many, many different things, and cancer is just 1 of them (and again it's rarely ever due to cancer anyway). You mentioned that your GP only ordered bloodwork for viruses, but what about other types of infection (e.g. bacteria-related), or even other markers for autoimmune diseases? Regardless, never stop advocating for yourself and I would highly implore you to chat with your GP regarding your concerns and even ask more questions about what he/she knows so far based on the panel results of the bloodwork.