May have throat/neck cancer...question for docs and anyone

Bill H · New User Joined: 11 Mar 2008 Posts: 3 Location: VIRGINIA

I am a 42 year old male. I smoked for about 18 years and have been quit for about 9 years. I eat right, excercise and live right. I have had swollen lymph nodes in the neck and back of my head for several months now. While going thru tests and months of doc visits they were putting me on antibiotics. When I am on the antibiotics (6 cycles to date) the lymph node pain and swelling goes down, then when the antibiotics are over they swell again and get painful. This has held true thru several cycles of antibiotics. I know that antibiotics will not make cancer better but....My first question is just because there are swollen lymph nodes,that doesn't necessarily mean that cancer is in the nodes correct? It could be somewhere else and the nodes are just swelling in defense correct? If the swelling nodes do not contain cancer and are only swelling because of cancer somewhere else, would antibiotics reduce the swelling temporarily? Obviously I'm looking for a reason to relieve the stress I am under. I am so worried. So far they cannot find anything to explain why they are swollen and have been extremely painful for so long. I am really worried. Has anyone ever heard of having swollen and painful lymph nodes for so long and it not be cancer. It's not mono, lupus, HIV, Hepatits, Thyroid, or any other simple infection that would explain it. Would I be losing weight if it were cancer? I've actually gained weight. They cannot find anything with a CT scan or from scoping my neck. I would love to have anyone's opinion. Thank you
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WORRIED

pbj11 · Site Admin Joined: 12 May 2007 Posts: 1006

Hi Bill,

Take a deep breath and try to calm yourself. I can well imagine how worried you are. Did they scan your lungs? It sounds like the doctors are all over this and truthfully, they don't know everything. We like to think they have all the answers, but the human body is so complex that there aren't answers to all of our ailments. I'd be more concerned if you have a consistent or increasing size growth in the neck area. That was how my FIL was diagnosed with throat/neck cancer.

Have you done some research on the net? You may find other people who have this type of presentation of symptoms.

Have they biopsied any of the lymph nodes? That may be one way to alleviate your worry. Your stress certainly isn't helping your immune system to fight any infection based cause, but who wouldn't be stressed out?

I wish you the best and some answers to your worries.

PBJ
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Husband diagnosed with NSCLC Stage IV. (Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer) Fought & lived 2 1/2 years with multiple lines of treatment.

Post describing our battle: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=7026&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

brainman

Hi Bill. I am very sorry about your current health concerns. The good news is the most lumps, bumps, knots, or swollen nodes ARE NOT cancer but due to something else... very often an infection. You might not even be aware that you have this infection. Has your medical team prescribed antibiotics for you yet? That is usually the first thing they do. Keep working with your medical team to try to identify the cause of this swollen node.
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Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendoglioma grade 3, same location.
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/

Bill H · New User Joined: 11 Mar 2008 Posts: 3 Location: VIRGINIA

Yes Jim I am on my 6th round of antibiotics now, and almost each time the swelling in my lymph nodes went down. That was really my concern, that if you didn't have cancer in the lymph nodes, and they were only swelling in responce to cancer in another location, would the antibiotics reduce the lymph nodes? If not, then it would ease my mind quite a bit. I found this site in a search for answers because I was so worried, and without really reading anything on or about this site, posted my situation. This morning I started reading some of the stories beginning with PBJ's, and they brought me to tears. I suddenly realized that my problems weren't problems at all, and how incredible the courage and compassion people here have kept thru such hard times. I can't begin to imagine what you have been thru and how you have dealt with it in such a courageous manner. I don't think this site is intended for such trivial problems as mine are at this time. These stories are such an inspiration. God bless everyone and you'll be in my prayers. Thank you for your help. No matter what happens in my situation I would like to remain a member and continue to read your testimonials. There is most definitely God at work here.
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brainman

Hi Bill... to start at the end... First, you are more than welcome to remain a member... even an active member. Second, your health problems are not "trivial." I learned long ago not to compare my situation with that of others. It is what it is. Your story could also be inspiration to others... even if you are not dealing with cancer. Third, the fact the the nodes decrease in size with antibiotics tells me that the problem is not cancer. But keep working with your medical team to find the answer. That persistence is what makes a story an inspiration to others.
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Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendoglioma grade 3, same location.
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/

jenugl

Hi Bill, I'm sorry to read that you are having such a bad time getting help with your health. I don't know much about your situation but I thought I would let you know about my BIL (brother in law) He had massive shadow on his lung scan awhile ago after severe pain and hard of breathing, which turned out to be some weird type of infection (they also said a small chance of cancer) they started with some courses of antibiotics then had to fight this with an extemely high level of antibiotics (something like 10 tablets a day for 8 weeks). Anyway my point is, sometimes if there is an infection somewhere in the body it might need to be treated differently. I hope you and your medical team can find a solution soon to help ease your pain and stress. Please let us know how you get on as there might be people reading these posts that are going through the same health scare as you. Thinking of you. Jen.
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Love to all. Jen.
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Partner of GBMIV survivor - so far.

http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=9502

In

Hi Bill,

Don't feel bad at all. Looking and posting is what heped me too.

Please feel welcome to stay and even post a little about you and symptoms etc. This may help someone else in the same area or thoughts.

o Worry about your health no matter how bad, or not. Is the worst.
Your posts might just help another person, And hpefuly this is just a case of a weird infection etc. Wink

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Thinking of you Inica

*Administrator*

~Nose Cancer~
~Car Accident- Broken Back, Ribs, Spleen
Sternum~
~Continous Cervical Cancer~

My Story-
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=6731

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