what to expect? - Cancer Message Board

Mari3 · 08-07-2003, 09:48 PM

I have a question about a neck lump I noticed in the past couple months. It is located on the right side of my neck two inches down from my earlobe. I saw my dr today to have it looked at. He felt it and said it does not seem to be a lymph node due to its location but it is about the size of a nickel. I mentioned that it has grown a bit recently and he said while it is probably a lipoma (not sure if that's the correct spelling) he is concerned because of it's size, that it has grown, and that I have lost quite a bit of weight (it has been intentional but I have never had success losing weight in the past).

He referred me to an ENT but I cannot get an appointment for two weeks. What can I expect when I go to the ENT? The dr seemed concerned but then again tried to assure me that it was probably nothing serious. I would like to know what to expect before I go.

Thank you in advance!

projapoti · 08-10-2003, 10:25 AM

Hi there Mari3.

If your doctor suggested that that lump is a lipoma, you can breathe a little bit easier. What it is, is just a localized collection of fat under the skin. Usually it's soft, which is in contradiction to a cancerous tumour which are usually hard, and immobile.

The ENT guy will do a head and neck exam, feeling all of your lymph nodes in the area (there are a ton of them), he'll look down your throat with a mirror (indirect laryngoscopy). It's pretty easy to tell if something is a lipoma, so there probably won't be too much involved in your appointment.