A member asked:

Can you get enlarged lymph nodes in your neck because of cancer somewhere else? or can it be because i have pressed my neck a lot?

4 doctors weighed in across 4 answers

Yes: Blood cancer or head and neck cancer or metastatic can cause neck lymphadenopathy. Infections can also cause lymph node

Answered 5/18/2015

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Dr. John Chiu answered

Yes: You can get it because of cancer. However infection , be it viral or bacterial, is a far more common cause. You can't make the node larger by pressing on it.

Answered 5/18/2015

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Reactive node: Lymph nodes are parts of our immune system. They react to any challenge like cancer or infection nearby by undergoing hyperplasia or enlargement due to increased number of lymphocytes and macrophages that fight the spread of germs or cancer cells. Pressing your neck does not cause such reaction unless you scratch yourself in the process and the scratch gets infected

Answered 5/24/2015

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See below: Pressing the neck will not cause the lymph nodes to enlarge. It is very unlikely that cancer somewhere else is causing neck nodes to enlarge. To find out more would require additional history, physical examination and may be some tests. It would be prudent to see your doctor.

Answered 3/22/2020

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