With lymphoma, the lymph nodes often grow slowly and may be there for months or years before they're noticed. But sometimes they grow very quickly. Usually, the swollen nodes don't hurt. But some people say their lumps ache or are painful.
Sensitivity: Some people think cancer always hurts, but that's not true. Tenderness tends to be a sign of an infectious process, because the immune system has been challenged. But lymph nodes that are swollen due to lymphoma are usually not painful.
A lymphoma lump will tend to be painless and feel rubbery when touched. Swollen lymph nodes caused by other conditions like the flu can make your lymph nodes swell and feel tender when touched. A lymphoma lump also tends to be movable under the skin versus hard and unmovable.
Healthy lymph nodes are more rubbery than the surrounding tissue but are not solid like stone. Any lumps on the neck, groin or armpits that are hard, very enlarged, and do not move when pushed may indicate lymphoma or another type of cancer and should be investigated by your GP.
Enlarged lymph nodes that have an irregular shape and a rubbery, hard consistency may be infiltrated by malignant cells.
Swollen lymph glands are usually a sign of infection and tend to go down when you recover. However, they can sometimes have a more serious cause and may need to be seen by a doctor.
With lymphoma, the lymph nodes often grow slowly and may be there for months or years before they're noticed. But sometimes they grow very quickly. Usually, the swollen nodes don't hurt. But some people say their lumps ache or are painful.
Blood Tests for Lymphoma
Blood tests are essential to accurately diagnosing this complex disease. These tests can show whether you have lymphoma cells or abnormal levels of normal cells: Blood smear: We take a drop of blood and look at it under a microscope.
If your doctor thinks your swollen lymph nodes could be cancer, tests and imaging can confirm the diagnosis or point to something else. Based on where the cancer might be, you could get a chest X-ray, an ultrasound, a CT scan, or an MRI.
Risk factors and associated cancers
Most cases of lymphadenopathy aren't caused by cancer. Malignancies are reported in as few as 1.1 percent of primary-care patients with swollen lymph nodes, according to a review in American Family Physician.
Metastasis can be identified in lymph nodes as small as 1 mm. It is of note that 74% of lymph nodes larger than 10 mm were free of cancer (Table 1). All 18 patients with positive nodes measuring 1 or 2 mm had metastases in larger nodes.
Do not squeeze, drain, or puncture a painful lump. Doing this can irritate or inflame the lump, push any existing infection deeper into the skin, or cause severe bleeding.
Swollen lymph nodes are often painless, moveable, and have a soft, “rubbery” feel to them, says Eric Jacobsen, MD, clinical director of the Adult Lymphoma Program at Dana-Farber.
For stage I NHL, the 5-year relative survival rate is more than 86%. For stage II the 5-year relative survival rate is 78%, and for stage III it is more than 72%. For stage IV NHL, the 5-year relative survival rate is almost 64%.
Computed Tomography (CT) Scans
A CT scan of the chest or abdomen can help detect an enlarged lymph node or cancers in the liver, pancreas, lungs, bones and spleen. The noninvasive test is also used to monitor a tumor's response to therapy or detect a return of cancer after treatment.
Painful lymph nodes are generally a sign that your body is fighting an infection. The soreness usually goes away in a couple of days without treatment. The lymph node may not return to its normal size for several weeks.
Lymph nodes in the neck can become painful for a variety of reasons, including infectious and noninfectious. Read more below to learn about associated symptoms, possible causes, and treatment options for painful lymph nodes in the neck.
While it may not be familiar, stress can certainly cause swollen lymph nodes. First, these small organs are located throughout the body.
Yes, you can cause your nodes to swell by constantly feeling for them.
Often, after an infection has passed, a lymph node or group of nodes that reacted to the infection can remain enlarged for months (reactive adenopathy). While this is a normal process, reactive adenopathy needs to be differentiated from worrisome processes that also can affect lymph nodes.
Healthcare providers usually only worry about swollen lymph nodes when they enlarge for no apparent reason. If you have a large, swollen area but you're not feeling sick and you didn't recently have a cold, flu or other infection, see your healthcare provider.
The most common sign of lymphoma is a lump or lumps, usually in the neck, armpit or groin. These lumps are swollen lymph nodes, sometimes known as 'glands'. Usually, they're painless.