Lymph Node

HeatherPsalm34-4

Well, had a few suspicious lymph nodes in my neck this fall. This lead to an US, multiple CT scans and a pet scan. Thank the Lord the pet scan gave the all clear that there was no cancer!! Scheduled for a follow up US in May to check the lymph nodes out and while wiping sweat off my neck a few days ago I feel ANOTHER enlarged lymph node! Aagghhrrrr! Please pray with me that it too is benign! I have had lots of Cancer PTSD this year and some extreme work stress over the last two weeks. Has anyone had lymph nodes in your neck be a result of stress? Calling my MO office tomorrow to see if they want to do the US sooner. I feel like I’m such a pain and “always” calling my MO office with lumps and bumps I’m panicking about. I’m about three years out from diagnosis and have had multiple scares of reoccurrence, when will I stop panicking!

NorCalS

Heather,

I can completely relate. I did have supraclavicular involvement when I was first diagnosed and I am constantly worried about stiffness in the neck. I have been told that the radiation that I received which spanned the neck area may be causing the stiffness and pain. I am due for a check up in a few weeks and will be asking MO about this. I have had physical therapy to help with any swelling that may have resulted from sentinel node and axillary node removal. It is hard to get over the worrying but hopefully we will be able to exhale some day. Wishing you the best

Beesie

Heather, reactive nodes in the neck are extremely common. From what my doctors (I've spoken to several on this issue) say, they are very rarely a site for breast cancer mets. And as someone else's MO explained it, our neck nodes are "the trash dumb for the lymphatic system", so they swell up often for all sorts of insignificant reasons.

If you do a search on this board, you'll find that lots of us are dealing with swollen neck nodes. I've had them since the early Fall. I had a couple of ultrasounds on those over a period of a few weeks and they all appeared to be normal reactive nodes, and the good news is that they were smaller on the second ultrasound. They are still not completely gone; my ENT said that they might never go back down to 'normal' so I guess this is the new normal for me. A few weeks ago another node on the other side of my neck suddenly became huge. Scary! I saw a doctor the following day and then saw my MO (I happened to have a regular appointment the following week; by that time the node was almost back to normal), and no one is the slightest bit concerned. The consensus in my case is that it is all caused by my sinuses, which are a long term issue for me. I have noticed that this newer swollen node, which is on the side of my neck a couple of inches below my ear, seems to enlarge when my ear is blocked. Yesterday that node was really swollen; today I can barely find it.

Interestingly, while pretty much ever doctor I've seen or talked to about this reassures me that neck lymph nodes are an unlikely location for breast cancer mets, they all immediately ask me whether I have fever, unexplained weight loss, night sweat, fatigue or itching - those are the 'B symptoms' for lymphoma. So that's the greater concern with swollen neck nodes. That's not to worry you but to make the point that breast cancer mets is a lesser concern. Hopefully you don't have those other symptoms, in which case what you have are probably just unexplained reactive nodes, which is surprisingly common.

Here's one thread where some of us were discussing neck nodes: https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/105/topic...

HeatherPsalm34-4

NorCalS and Beesie 🐝

Thank you so so much!!! It’s so good to know I’m not alone!! And wow the reassurance that neck nodes are uncommon sites for BC Mets is great too!!! I will check out that thread too! So thankful for my BC sisters! God is good!

HeatherPsalm34-4

WelI had a follow up US on my lymph nodes in my neck, they are still on the smaller side but larger than they were in November. I also have an additional one in my neck and one adjacent to my left clavicle. Some have poor or abnormal fatty hulas, but the one near my clavicle has a normal fatty hula. Sounds like the radiologist is suggesting a biopsy in the largest one in the side of my neck. I’m so terrified that it’s BC metastatic! Although I keep hoping this is an uncommon place for recurring BC! Help me out girls! Anyone have this situation that was benign?