Need advice

[CaB1800]

This may sound stupid but for the past 6 months I've had a lump on the left side of my neck. It's hard to the touch. At the base of my neck, inline with my ear. I've experienced night sweats, extreme fatigue, itchy skin, a fever that come and goes and I've lost a bit of weight in two weeks without being overly active, usually it's hard for me to lose weight. I'm not sure whether to see a doctor or if I'm being paranoid. Any advice is appreciated 

[Journeyman]

I'm sorry if this comes across as a bit brusque, but of course you should see a doctor.

If you are concerned enough to join a cancer forum and ask questions, you already know how serious your situation could be. If it turns out to be nothing, wouldn't it actually be good to know that?

Please, make an appointment ASAP.

[Dee58]

I have all those symptoms too.  My cancer was diagnosed a week ago.  The big " lump" on my neck (it's a lymph node) is home to the secondary cancer which spread from the main cancer that was found in my PET scan just this Wednesday 2 days ago - on my tonsil.  I've had my symptoms since mid December... but I thought I was going to get my annual ear infection (I usually get one every year ever since I was a young girl)... but that didn't eventuate and yet the lump stayed.  I went this month to get it seen to because it didn't seem right and I was starting to feel unwell...  So I now am waiting to hear on Monday what they plan to do with me.  My ENT surgeon thinks radiotherapy will probably be used first off - being the best treatment in the circumstances to try firsthe said ... said it has good results... so that's in my future.  It's all happened incredibly fast.  Thank god I kept my private health cover is all I can say.  And all I can say to you is what the person above said...  6 months?  wow... you're wasting time.  Go see your GP tomorrow!  And good luck!  xx

[OzStu]

Damn right you should go to a doctor.   I  hate to tell you this but what you describe is exactly how it started for me.  My diagnosis,  advanced metastatic squamous cell carcinoma with occult primary.   That's a fancy way of saying,  I have cancer in my mouth somewhere but they couldn't find it, and it's spread to the lymph nodes in my neck and taken off like a wildfire.  The good news is,  through radical chemo and radiation it looks like I've beaten it....so far.  I'm almost one year out from treatment so I have a long wait ahead of me before I can consider myself cured rather then just in remission. 

My advice,  see a GP, and request that he send  you for a biopsy,  not a scan,  not just a referral to a cancer clinic.  The reason I say this is because you can feel your lump, you know where it is.  From the time I walked into the hospital to begin investigations into my lump until the time I actually started treatment it was 6 months.  All this time was taken up with firstly, xrays, then ultrasound, then ct scan, then pet scan, then two failed find needle biopsies, then finally a wide needle biopsy which finally told them exactly what sort of cancer it was.   They could have done this biopsy the day i walked in the door.  My lump was clearly visible when I tipped my head back, and could feel it easily.   And the fact is that no treatment will start until a biopsy is done because no other test can determine 100% for sure if it is cancer, never mind the exact type of cancer.    But if you get a general referral this is what will probably happen,  endless tests which really only tell them the size, location, and physical characteristics of your lumps, and also any other lumps that you don't know about.  A pet scan is pretty good at telling them if there is cancer activity,  not 100% but pretty good, but it can not tell them the type of cancer it is, as in, the exact genetic make up of the cancer.   And this is vital information for treating it.   I wish they had of just done a wide needle biopsy first up, then they would have known straight away what it was.....then they could do pet scan to locate any other lumps,  and I could have began and finished treatment months earlier with much less spreading and probably not have needed as hard hitting treatment as I had.  And my chances of staying clear would have been better.   Push for biopsy at the earliest possible date.