questions - Lymphomas Message Board

storms_refuge · 03-21-2005, 03:20 PM

I noticed a lymph node in Jan. of this year, on the lower side of my neck. It is about 1.7cm. long but very narrow (.5 cm.) I have ran a low grade fever off and on during this same time as well. I had a CT scan due to a tight feeling in my throat and it showed a nodule on my thyroid, which i have since had biopsied and it came back as non-cancerous. My family dr. ordered a fine needle biopsy of this lymph node today, but when I went to have it done, the dr. there said that fine needle biopsies don;t yield enough cells to test, when dealing with a node. He said that if I feel I want it biopsied, my best choice would be to have the entire node removed. I also have a small node above my breat, sort of out to the side from my underarm. Neither node is sore. The dr. today, said that he would feel safe in just watching the nodes to see if they enlarge any. If they do not, he feels they are normal. But the ultrasound tech said that there were several other nodes showing up in my neck area that were slightly enlarged as well. So now I have to decide if I feel removal of the node is what I want to do, or if I want to wait it out. I am at a total loss. I don;t want to do anything uneeded but I also don;t want to miss something that is important. Any advice? Also, do the presence of several nodes that the tech saw on the scan, make this more suspicious for lymphoma? I have read that fever can be a sign of lymphoma.....any thoughts? Any comments are greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Marimac · 03-21-2005, 07:34 PM

You should go with what makes you feel most comfortable. If you are financially able to afford the biopsy and it will ease your mind, then go on and have it done. If you have reservations about the need for the biopsy, and can go on about your life without excessive worry, then wait. It is not possible for anyone here to give you the best advice. We can reflect back to you what the options are. Numerous swollen nodes may mean a minor infection that will heal itself. However, only you know how your health is and what will make you most comfortable.

storms_refuge · 03-21-2005, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marimac

You should go with what makes you feel most comfortable. If you are financially able to afford the biopsy and it will ease your mind, then go on and have it done. If you have reservations about the need for the biopsy, and can go on about your life without excessive worry, then wait. It is not possible for anyone here to give you the best advice. We can reflect back to you what the options are. Numerous swollen nodes may mean a minor infection that will heal itself. However, only you know how your health is and what will make you most comfortable.

yes I understand. I am not really asking anyone here to make my mind up for me, I just was searching for opinions from those who know more about the condition that I may potentionally have, than I do. I lean more towards having the biopsy done at this point, but I wish I had some reasonable idea of what the odds are that it is malignant .....I guess that's not possible though. It seems that the more I read into lymphoma, the less likely it seems that my biopsy will come nack non-cancerous. I read tonight, that if nodes are on one side of the neck only, it is indicative of cancer. mine are right sided. I read that if fever is present off and on, it is indicative of cancer, which I have had the low grade fever, with no apparent cause. I saw on one of the past threads that someone said that lymphoma is a highly treatable form of cancer, but from what i can find online, it looks like the overall survival rate for 5 years is just around 54%. To me that seems really scarey. Okay well i am finished ranting. I guess only time will tell.