A 21-year-old male asked:
Been to dr at least 6 times for swollon lymph nodes in neck and groin. all say they are "shotty nodes". now i found another node in my armpit. cancer?
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Ed Friedlanderanswered
Pathology 46 years experience
Cancer is scary: All men your age have some palpable lymph nodes. If this was cancer, it would be one of the malignant lymphomas and you'd know you are seriously sick as the nodes would enlarge greatly or you'd feel terrible. However, I have a sense that you do have symptoms, and the next step might be testing for infectious mono, toxo, CMV and hiv; if you can find a surgeon to biopsy a node, it's your option.
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Dr. Sewa Leghaanswered
Medical Oncology 52 years experience
Why so many times?: If you had cancer in your lymph glands, they would have continued to enlarge, leading your doctor to do a biopsy. Unless the lymph nodes are growing and become bigger than 1.5 to 2cm(one inch), it is hard to think of them as cancerous(normal nodes can be palpable as you have felt them yourself). Please quit feeling for them as it only makes you more nervous and anxious. Get checked 1-2 times/yr.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Jan 7, 2023
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