Question About Lymphoma

[Glossyv]

Hi guys, i’m not sure if I’m doing this right or posting this on the right thing, but this journey has been really hard on me and I’ve seen people post on here that have made me feel better because they talked about their journeys. so maybe hearing advice can help me calm down more. One year ago I noticed a lump on my groin I went to the hospital they told me it was a swollen lymph node they gave me anabiotic‘s and it went away. However it never really went down, It started swelling up again a couple months later and then swelled down, however this time it’s gotten bigger, and  it has not swelled down and is painful. I ended up getting a sinus tract right above it, I had bad scars on my armpits from boils, then I got diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Hidranitis Supparitiva. My autoimmune condition creates cyst, that form sinus trucks right above it, which are open wounds, my dermatologist told me not to worry about the lymph node, because it was probably there due to a cyst. I finally was so happy that I got my answer for what was going on, however after they put me on anabiotic‘s for my autoimmune condition, I got swollen lymph nodes all over my neck, some of the size of a pee, others are the size of a marble, and there’s seven of them, and three of them will not move at all when you press on them. My doctor told me it was just a side effect from my medication for my autoimmune condition, he gave me antibiotics however the lymnodes have stayed on my neck for two months now, and my throat has been sore for two months as well. I had a really itchy scalp to the point that I would itch it so bad that it would bleed. However my dermatologist just said it was folliculitis , I soon used Head and shoulders shampoo for dandruff and itchy scalp and my scalp never itched again. I also did lose 30 pounds in 2 months, 

however I went vegan so I think that played a big role in it and also my medication had a side effect were made me lose weight as well . And I got another lymph node on the other side of my groin. I went back to my doctor and he requested an ultrasound, then the radiologist looked over it and said I needed a biopsy. I’m honestly afraid for my life, because I’m afraid that I’ve had the symptoms for a while now and blamed it on the medication but now I’m nervous that it’s actually been a sign of cancer the entire time, I’m only 19, and even more afraid that it’s a cancer that’s life-threatening. I get my biopsy on Monday, did anyone else have similar symptoms ? 

[sch]

Hi,

Swollen lymph nodes can be caused by things other than cancer.

It sounds like you've done everything right so far. You've seen your GP, and she/he in turn has referred you to other specialists. This is great news. It means your GP is engaged, taking you seriously and you are seeing the right people.

Medical professionals, when they don't know what is causing something, generally work by ruling things out.

So they started by putting you on antibiotics. Okay, that didn't work.

Let's try ruling our cancer by doing a biopsy.

It doesn't mean that they think it's cancer. It just means that they are testing a lump that they have observed so they can rule it out and then move on to the next things in their troubleshooting playbook.

At the end of the day, even if it is cancer you have so many things on your side.

You are young, you have a top quality medical team on your side, and you've followed up quickly after symptoms.

All of these things are going to hold you in good stead.

Best of luck,

-s

[Glossyv]

Hi! Thankyou for calming my nerves, reading your comment helped me have a better outlook on things. They ended up doing another ultrasound and said that the lumps in my groin are just tissue, and that my autoimmune disease is causing those lumps. However I am experiencing a lot of pain down there and some burning, my period did just come

on so it could be that. Hopefully I can get an answer soon when I visit my doctor, and i still have lymnodes on my neck that didn’t go down with the anabiotic‘s, so I hope I can get an answer on that as well, but I’m having pretty positive thoughts since nothing was wrong in my groin area.

[Lolie]

Hi

It's not at all surprising to me that someone with an autoimmune disorder would have enlarged lymph nodes.  They're our body's first line of defence against things our immune system perceives as foreign.

In the unlikely event that you actually did have lymphoma, it would have to be an indolent type.  Aggressive lymphoma doesn't go this long without getting dramatically worse.  Indolent lymphomas are simply watched and treatment is only given if there are signs of transformation into a more aggressive form, so not only is it very unlikely that you have lymphoma, even if you did treatment wouldn't be warranted at this stage.