Hi everyone,

I am a huge hypochondriac so please excuse my coming here without actually having a diagnosis. I am just so scared out of my skin at the moment that I need a place to express my fears, and to get some opinions on them.

For a week now, I feel a longish hard lump like structure under my chin, left side. It does not hurt, and it seems to already have grown during these days. It is about 2.5cm long (following the jawbone) and 1cm across. I can easily move it from behind the jawbone to the front, and then it naturally pops back, but since it is swollen it kind of 'hangs down' under the jawbone at the moment.

I am very worried about this because for over a month now, I have had the feeling of pressure in my neck (though on the right side), and one of my tonsils looks bigger than the other. I have been to a family doctor who looked at my tonsil and said that one looked slightly irregular, but not to worry. I stressed that I wanted a ENT specialist to look at it, and he gave me a referral, but this will only be in three weeks (!).

I know that 'sometimes a lump is just a lump', but this thing under my jaw is scaring the hell out of me. Its really big, and now I think I either have a cancer of the salivary gland, or a cancer somewhere else in my oral region that has already spread to my lymph nodes....

Should I press for an earlier appointment with the specialist? I feel like valuable time is wasted here....

Oh, and I am only 28 years old....how are survival rates for this type of cancer? I don't want to die

anxiousmark, I suggest you find a lot of things you really enjoy and do them all while you are waiting for the appointment. Get off the internet and off of here while you know for sure, today you don't have cancer. Things can change in 3 weeks so you have the best possible opportunity to fill your days with happiness.

I am sure hoping you don't have oral cancer.

Mark why do you think your family doctor says not to worry? A hypochondriac would go through a range of doctors before he found one he trusted, so why is yours dismissing this? There is a reason your doctor is not concerned with a 3 week delay to see the ENT.

We're not doctors here, only patients and carers. But I'll give you two bits of advice for free, take them as you like.

A big part of facing a serious medical problem, not just cancer, is the mental state you face it with. Look at the cancer path some of the people face here, and say "I don't know how they do it." Well they take it a step at a time, because that's all you can do. Your next step is the ENT in 3 weeks. That's it. You don't worry about anything past the next test, the next treatment, because if you worried about it all at once it would overwhelm you. So take it one step at a time, as calmly as you can.

Don't look at the internet for survival rates. When you do that you are faced with a myriad of unrelated conditions, statistics, trials, studies etc. What you are really asking the internet is "will this kill me" and of course the internet doesn't know, so you're left with an answer of "maybe". Get off the internet, otherwise you'll think every headache is a brain tumour.

Hi Uptown and OzMojo,

First of all, thank you very much for your replies. I know the worst thing that I probably did was to go look on the internet -> I have a history of doing that with all the kinds of sicknesses I already thought I had but this time I really went over the top.

I will stick to your advice: wait and see, take one step at the time, and get off the internet....I will also see a therapist for my health anxiety...its destroying my life.

Thank you again for your responses.

You're welcome Mark. I might come across a little harsh but what I'm trying to do is to use your own experience to illustrate the points, and I think you've got the idea. This is a great group of people, but its not a club you want to join. I hope we never see you again and I mean that in the nicest possible way!

Mark, what you have described sounds like a lymph node. This same thing happened to my son. It appeared out of nowhere and grew and within 2 weeks it disappeared. I would guess it cold be a sign you have some kind of infection or even just the common cold.

The rule about oral cancer goes like this...
Any sore in your mouth that does not resolve itself within 2 or 3 weeks should be checked by a medical professional. I would suggest waiting another week to see an ENT. You can start finding one today, it will probably take at least a week before you get in to get checked.

Try to relax! Worrying only causes unneeded anxiety which tends to make everything worse. People worry so much about "what if" that they make themselves sick. Worrying wont help or change anything so try your very best to stay busy so you can keep your mind from focusing only on this situation. Hopefully this will turn out to be nothing serious.

Best wishes.[color:#990000][/color]

Okay so let's rationalize. You're 28 the demographic for HPV related oral cancer is usually 40's and up. This type of oral cancer is often detected in the nodes first and then they find the primary in the base of tongue (down the throat) or tonsils. Someone here can correct me if I'm wrong but we've never seen an HPV positive OC patient your age. So chances are it's not this type of cancer.

The other type - non HPV is a little trickier. It does pop up in the nodes but 99% of the time the primary is found on the oral mucosa (cheek, inside lip etc...)tongue or gums. I am assuming your dr. did a thorough examination. If there is a tumor or lesion on your tongue it's visible. Usually whitish red and often quite sore. on the gums and cheek it's visible though may be painless. This is often a heavy smoker and drinker's cancer.
There are younger people who get it, and people like me who have no precursors. But we are rare.

That said - its likely it's not cancer but rather an infection of some sort.

Call the ENTs office - explain how anxious you are. Tell them if there is a cancellation you are willing to drop everything and run in.

Hugs and blessings.

Hi everyone,

thank you so much for your responses. I feel a bit calmer now. I had an ultrasound of my neck today, and hopefully can expect the results by the end of this week.

I hope you don't mind me complaining to people who actually suffer

Hi everyone,

It's me again. I'm sorry to bother you again but I'm really panicky at the moment.

I just realized that for over a month, I have been feeling a pressure on the side of my neck, under/behind my jawbone. It is as if someone is constantly pushing a finger on that area. It is not painful, but really bothersome. Now I started to get really panicky because it seems to me that this is the tonsil that is swollen outward. When I compare touching the side of my neck on the one side to the other, it seems as if the one side is much bigger, i.e. that the tonsil is potruding towards the outside....is this a symptom of cancer? I know I can go to a specialist soon, 2.5 weeks now, but I'm still very very worried....could this be anything else?

There could be any number of things besides cancer going on. Getting upset can only make you feel worse. Try to stay busy so you keep your mind off the "what if's". I know its really hard not to think of all kinds of scenarios. No matter what this is you can only take it step by step and day by day.

Make an appointment to see an ENT who specializes in oral cancer. They will be the most familiar with symptoms and giving you a thorough exam. Hopefully its nothing serious, only a common cold or virus.

Hang in there!

Hey all,

I just got the results of the ultrasound of my neck. And it has me worried

Multiple small to borderline hypoechoic lymph nodes on both sides. The biggest ones being, on the right, 27mm x 09mm and on the left 25 x 07mm

That's rather big, right? Could these already me metastases? I read that hypoechoic lymph nodes are signs of metastases...

Mark, what did the doctor say when you were given the results? I don't know what hypoechoic lymph nodes are but I'm sure your doctor can enlighten you. I think you said that you were seeing someone about your anxiety? That will be very helpful for you. It's sad to see a young person subject to such worry. I was always an anxious person and I can tell you now after all these years that it is not worth it. Have a good talk to your doctor and try to relax. Be vigilant about your health but immerse yourself in other enjoyable things!!!

Hi Alpaca,

Unfortunately, the doctor didn't say much. He said most likely they are reactive....but most likely doesn't do anything for me atm. He said to take the results with me to the ENT in 2.5 weeks....

I am taking Lorezapam now, about 1mg a day, to calm me down. So far it has worked great...except that now I have a kind of a bad, I dont care attitude...i don't know if that is helpful in coming to the bottom of this...

Hi, Mark.

I just got through reading your thread.

I haven't been on the forums for a while.

I'm concerned to see how you are doing.

I hope that all is well since you have gone dark, or I might be missing another thread.

Love and strength in OCF,
Kerri

Mark how are you? I hope your results put your worries at rest. I hope you are doing well.

I know how stress can take a hold of life, hope to here from you, Sophie

Hi everyone,

Sorry for not writing earlier! I just needed a break from everything for a while.

I went to the ENT, he looked at the tonsil, thought it looked only a bit bigger than the other, and then scoped the back of my throat (with this thing that goes through the nose). He said that he saw nothing concerning. He advised me to gargle with salt water, and to come back in a month. So I am a bit calmer now....

What still bothers me though, is that I still have swollen submandibular lymph nodes on both sides. They just won't go down. Oh well. I have decided now to take a step back and let the doctors do their things.

I'm certainly glad there there is nothing worrisome at the moment, at least according to my ENT. (he was from a hospital clinic so I trust his judgment). He also said that it makes little sense to do a biopsy of a healthy looking tonsil. I believe him and now I'll just wait for a month. I don't know why really, since my symptoms are still there...but I guess I just need this to calm down.

Thank you so much to everyone here on this forum that has supported and helped me in this difficult time. You people are amazing!

Be guided by your doctor, and if needed, they can do a FNAB, Fine Needle Aspirational Biopsy, on the palpable lymph node, even if it's not, with UltraSound Guidance. They do the pathology of the sample taken to show if it's cancer or not, if HPV, and other histology possibly not cancer related, which samples takes 10 minutes to obtain, is relatively painless, in a medical office/hospital, most times with a pathologist, all mine were.

All my office flex scopes, 3, with two separate doctors, showed no sign of cancer in the oropharynx or oral cavity, but did through an FNAB of the lymph node, so they knew I had HNC most likely, and subsequent pandendoscopy, with surgical biopsy, proved positive for small T1 tonsil cancer. Not saying it is, but HPV tonsil/bot may grow faster in the node than in the primary in the oropharynx due to the nutrient rich lymphatics, which also can be microscopic, and not seen visually or by scan or died off at the primary from lack of nutrients when it metastasizes.

A small percentage of patients have an unknown primary that is never found, although the node proves positive, but most eventually are through a PET/CT scan, Ebstein Barr testing, which could indicate nasopharynx, and HPV, in the oropharynx.

Good luck, and hopefully the matter resolves on its own.

Hey, Mark.

I'm glad that you came back for an update. I totally understand your need to take a break from all of the information. Things can become overwhelming here, so it's good to pace yourself.

I'm glad that you have a follow up in a month. If your symptoms are still persistent, I would certainly push for a biopsy of the nodes and an MRI or CT scan. I don't really know how each scan visualizes your tissues differently, but they do.

My tonsillar cancer did not show up on CT even though my tonsil was huge and painful. They only found the cancer on surgery. This is not to scare you, but you're better safe than sorry.

If your doctor hesitates to do a biopsy and scan, the best thing you can do for yourself is get a second opinion at a cancer center where the ENT (otolaryngologist) is a head and neck cancer specialist. Getting a scan in one of these facilities is also important because there will be trained radiologists reading your scan with a fine tooth comb. Experience matters a lot, especially with head and neck cancers.

I hope this is all for nothing and that you get a clean bill of health! Please come back with any questions and keep us posted.

Love and hope in OCF,
Kerri

TBH, The results are as I expected. Your initial post stated you suffer with HA and your posts were indicative of what one would expect to see on a HA forum.

I understand how you would fear oral cancer. As cancers go, H&N cancer is one of the nastiest ones.

That being said, I fully expected your results to be negative. Please take those results to heart. Everyone here would be jumping for joy had we gotten your results.

Now, seek help for the illness that is affecting you which is anxiety. Some, including myself have been affected by it. In my case, it came post treatment. I call it "scanxiety". It's fearing that that cancer will return. I sought help in the form of therapy and meds to help me deal with it. At two years out, I'm essentially free of the cancer that afflicted me and a weight has been lifted.

Myself and other members here are dealing with health issues that can bury us six feet under. You and others that suffer from health anxiety and other mental afflictions suffer the same fate above ground. Seek help for your anxiety. That's the best way to treat the physical symptoms associated with it.

Positive thoughts

Hi Mark, I would always seek a second opinion and get a needle aspiration biopsy. Then you can know why your nodes are swollen. Knowledge is power and knowing releives stress because no matter what the causes are you are taking care of yourself.

After my husband's surgery, I also found a lump in my body. It was just a cyst but I worried when ever I felt it so I went for a second opinion from a repudable specialist which put me at peace. I can check it a couple times a year but I am not worried anymore. I waited about a year in my case because I knew my case was not an emergency and I didn't want to take someone else's spot.

In your case you should book your apointment to be seen as soon as posible, then seek some help to deal with your anxiety. My husband and I saw someone after his treatment and my doctor helped me with my anxiety. When we first found out about his cancer I needed a little medical help for stress, but I only used this a few times while I was having a panic attack.

There is great help out there, the greatest thing my doctor said to me when I worried that Stephen's cancer would return was, "who are you to take away the life he has with your worry? Be there for him and live the life you both have" "No matter what happens, he deserve to live his life fully, and if you take it away with worry while he is a surviver, isn't that a wast"? "Celebrate, love and live while you can".

This was my family doctor's words and it woke me out of a dark dark deepening tunnel.

Keep positive, Sophie

Its very very rare to have bilateral nodular involvement where cancer is concerned. Your dr. says they are reactive. Chances are you have an infection. Usually it's one side or the other affected when it comes to cancer. At some point it can jump them midline but at that point I think your symptomology would be much greater.

try not to worry ... hugs.

Sophie,
Those were great words that your doctor shared with you.

I hope I can keep them in mind for myself and for others.

xo,
Kerri

Hi Karri,
What my doctor did for me is take away my sense of responsibility and my illusion of control away with simple words, "have hope".

And somehow when I snapped out of my desperation and very slowly into a lightness of being. I decided to be the best I could be no matter how bad things got with Stephen, and more so I decided to be hopeful, to believe in what felt like the impossible. And the only way to do that is to accept the present state, including which was at the time my very tired state. It might have been foreign at first but I exuded happiness for the sake of feeling and feeling good about myself and the life Stephen and I are building together.

I try my best to be selfless and to love Stephen purely in the now. Because after all it is all that matters in the end.

Sophie

Thank you Sophie. Have hope, accept the present, love in the now...very wise words.

This is a reminder that I seem to need periodically (actually, over & over again) while dealing with the aftermath of side effects. Have you posted this on the caregiver section?

Lottie

Hi mark, I know how overwhelming the wait can be. What Cheryld said about cancer starting on one side is true, so you can take relief in that.

And yes Lottie being present when secondary effects cause harm and stress is a daily challenge. I always tell myself that I am doing all that I can by just being at Stephen's side through every storm. We are so accustom to going to the emergency that it has become a calm routine.

I stay calm whenever possible.
Listen and ask how Stephen is doing so that he never feels alone.
And we hold eachother a lot, it makes for better sleeps.
Life is not what I expected but the shared hardship has definitely bonded us in a profound way.
And when he feels better, I make sure to celebrate by being twice as goofy and twice as funny as I usually am. I make him laugh even when he doesn't feel like it and that make me very happy.

Hi everyone,

Thank you for the feedback. I realize that having swollen lymph nodes on both side of the neck speaks against this particular cancer. I take relief in that....even though now I am afraid that I have lymphoma ....I will speak to my doctor about this.

And as soon as I am in my home country again I will start therapy...I realize that I have a huge problem with health anxiety.

Once again, I very much appreciate all the words you have provided and the help you have given.

So happy to hear from you, know that you are in so many hearts and minds. Thank you for popping in again.
Sophie

Best wishes, Mark, as you head back home!

Hugs,
Kerri

Hi all,

it's me again. I'm back in my home country now, but the tonsil thing is not letting me go. I still have the feeling of something stuck in my throat, at the back of my tongue, between tongue and tonsil. I had another look in the mirror and now I finally realize what it is. I have a little white growth on my tonsil. Its not a tonsil stone (I have those, but they come off). This one does not. It looks like a little zyst or something. Since it is at the front, and where the tongue touches the tonsil, I can feel it as this 'something stuck'. I googled again (i know, my bad) and I found someone who had something similar and with whom it turned out to be cancerous (even though he only had to have his tonsil removed, no chemo and no radiation). I wonder know whether I should press for another appointment with an ENT to have this particular thing looked at. Did anyone of you guys have something similar? Or do you guys know about zyst-like growths on tonsils?

wishes,
mark

Hi, Mark.

I am glad to hear that you are home now.

Please get a second opinion from a qualified otolaryngologist who specializes in oral, head, and neck cancer.

You've been worried about this for a long time and now you can visualize a cyst-like structure. It's up to you to get it taken care of. Looking on the mirror over and over again isn't going to help.

I'm sorry for the tough love, but it seems like you need it. Here's to hoping it's nothing serious, but the only way you'll know is with a biopsy.

Good luck and please keep us posted.

~Kerri

If there is something for them to see and biopsy go to an ENT show them and ask them to biopsy it. That way you will know for sure what is up.
Hugs.