Aa
Follow up question from 11/07
So I got to see an ENT. I was very upset about the "90% figure of people over 40 having the supra nodes being some kind of malignancy." He told me that's not true and to stop googling. He examined my nodes - could only feel one of them. My primary doc could only feel one as well. (CT had shown 2 but one deep to marker). He said no worries, you are fine. He said the node feels normal and he would not order a biopsy. So idk. I swear I can feel the second node and I showed the doctors where exactly but they couldn't feel them.
I felt better after seeing him since he was so reassuring and he spoke to me at length. But now I am freaking out again cause I keep poking at my neck and feel like I feel a difference in size then I don't etc... I have an appt with another ENT next Thursday for a second opinion. I wonder if he will want a biopsy?. I thought biopsy for sure given my age (48) and that they are supra. What do you think? Should I push for a biopsy if he also says no?. I tried pushing it with the other ENT but he said absolutely not. He said you have no other symptoms of anything else and the node feels fine. He said come see me in 8 weeks if you want to reassure yourself. He mentioned lymphoma being very unlikely and I said I'm not worried about Lymphoma exclusively. I am also worried about lung, breast, or some other cancer that has spread to my supra nodes. They have no reason to react cause I am not sick etc... (my chest xray was clear and blood good). But I know chest xray don't catch small tumors. I had a mammo and saw my gyno in June/August so if it is breast then it must be interval cancer I read,which is scary cause those are aggressive. I am going crazy. I went down the rabbit hole. What if the nodes swelled because they caught some cancer cells from the lungs or colon or wherever and this is my early warning, and by not doing a biopsy I am throwing. away. an early warning sign? Thanks for any advice.
I felt better after seeing him since he was so reassuring and he spoke to me at length. But now I am freaking out again cause I keep poking at my neck and feel like I feel a difference in size then I don't etc... I have an appt with another ENT next Thursday for a second opinion. I wonder if he will want a biopsy?. I thought biopsy for sure given my age (48) and that they are supra. What do you think? Should I push for a biopsy if he also says no?. I tried pushing it with the other ENT but he said absolutely not. He said you have no other symptoms of anything else and the node feels fine. He said come see me in 8 weeks if you want to reassure yourself. He mentioned lymphoma being very unlikely and I said I'm not worried about Lymphoma exclusively. I am also worried about lung, breast, or some other cancer that has spread to my supra nodes. They have no reason to react cause I am not sick etc... (my chest xray was clear and blood good). But I know chest xray don't catch small tumors. I had a mammo and saw my gyno in June/August so if it is breast then it must be interval cancer I read,which is scary cause those are aggressive. I am going crazy. I went down the rabbit hole. What if the nodes swelled because they caught some cancer cells from the lungs or colon or wherever and this is my early warning, and by not doing a biopsy I am throwing. away. an early warning sign? Thanks for any advice.
COMMUNITY LEADER
Another way to feel more assured that you do not have cancer is to have a plausible alternative diagnosis. Why did the node(s) enlarge anyway, if not cancer? We can talk about that if you like.
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi, Chloe, I'm sorry for not answering sooner but my laptop died and I've been tied up for more than a short while in wrangling a new one. Let me start right off by saying that I see no reason to think you have a cancer.
"90% figure of people over 40 having the supra nodes being some kind of malignancy."
I've never believed that particular statistic. Maybe I'll look up one day how it originated. Besides, out of the several people who came to this forum with an enlarged supraclavicular node, none actually had cancer.
If you do want reassurance, I'd ask for an ultrasound of the node nearest the surface. A US can tell more than a CT. The CT can see deeper, though.
"He told me... to stop googling."
I would never tell anybody such a thing, unless they only do very sporadic researching and then panic. But you seem quite able, so I'll give more info to balance with - both sides.
"He said the node feels normal"
I wouldn't go with feeling alone. But if it felt very large or hard, then you'd want a followup US. Still, size alone is never definitive - just suggestive.
"But now I am freaking out again cause I keep poking at my neck and feel like I feel a difference in size then I don't etc..."
Poking it can irritate it and cause some increase in size, inflammation--> swelling. It can later go down. So that's called waxing and waning. Cancer itself woudn't wane.
"I have an appt with another ENT next Thursday for a second opinion. I wonder if he will want a biopsy?"
Nope. There is no reasonable justification for a biopsy.
"He said you have no other symptoms of anything else..."
Most lymphoma has no symptoms to start. People just usually accidentally discover a bump.
But let's add in: "I am also worried about lung, breast, or some other cancer that has spread to my supra nodes. They have no reason to react cause I am not sick etc..."
Both a metastatic node and a reactive node would have some upstream cause. So that argument goes both ways.
"I am going crazy."
A thought just occurred to me. You might ask the doc (who might order the US) to ask the radiologist to write a *very* detailed US report. Well, the radiologist might ignore that but it wouldn't hurt to ask. The more factors you can read that favor not-cancer, the better. Rather than just having the brief "node looks reactive" conclusion.
I'm glad you posted twice, else I would have missed your earlier one. Your thoroughness is an asset to you. Feel free to post again whenever you like.
"90% figure of people over 40 having the supra nodes being some kind of malignancy."
I've never believed that particular statistic. Maybe I'll look up one day how it originated. Besides, out of the several people who came to this forum with an enlarged supraclavicular node, none actually had cancer.
If you do want reassurance, I'd ask for an ultrasound of the node nearest the surface. A US can tell more than a CT. The CT can see deeper, though.
"He told me... to stop googling."
I would never tell anybody such a thing, unless they only do very sporadic researching and then panic. But you seem quite able, so I'll give more info to balance with - both sides.
"He said the node feels normal"
I wouldn't go with feeling alone. But if it felt very large or hard, then you'd want a followup US. Still, size alone is never definitive - just suggestive.
"But now I am freaking out again cause I keep poking at my neck and feel like I feel a difference in size then I don't etc..."
Poking it can irritate it and cause some increase in size, inflammation--> swelling. It can later go down. So that's called waxing and waning. Cancer itself woudn't wane.
"I have an appt with another ENT next Thursday for a second opinion. I wonder if he will want a biopsy?"
Nope. There is no reasonable justification for a biopsy.
"He said you have no other symptoms of anything else..."
Most lymphoma has no symptoms to start. People just usually accidentally discover a bump.
But let's add in: "I am also worried about lung, breast, or some other cancer that has spread to my supra nodes. They have no reason to react cause I am not sick etc..."
Both a metastatic node and a reactive node would have some upstream cause. So that argument goes both ways.
"I am going crazy."
A thought just occurred to me. You might ask the doc (who might order the US) to ask the radiologist to write a *very* detailed US report. Well, the radiologist might ignore that but it wouldn't hurt to ask. The more factors you can read that favor not-cancer, the better. Rather than just having the brief "node looks reactive" conclusion.
I'm glad you posted twice, else I would have missed your earlier one. Your thoroughness is an asset to you. Feel free to post again whenever you like.
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Thanks again. I replied in the other thread, with some more questions as well. Forgot to mention though that I did ask for ultrasound's too both from the PCP and ENT but they seem fine with CT. So I will ask the ENT doc I see next week. Then the holidays are coming up so everything will probably get pushed up.
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