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.
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.
People can check whether their lymph nodes are swollen by gently pressing around the area, such as the side of the neck. Swollen lymph nodes will feel like soft, round bumps, and they may be the size of a pea or a grape. They might be tender to the touch, which indicates inflammation.
Enlarged lymph nodes that have an irregular shape and a rubbery, hard consistency may be infiltrated by malignant cells.
Lymph nodes measuring more than 1 cm in the short axis diameter are considered malignant.
A swollen lymph node does not necessarily mean the infection is severe. Some people's lymph nodes swell very easily, and a person has no other symptoms.
Most swollen lymph nodes aren't a cause for concern and will go away as your infection clears up. Healthcare providers usually only worry about swollen lymph nodes when they enlarge for no apparent reason.
If you have an enlarged lymph node it may feel like a swelling the size of a pea, sometimes they can be larger.
See your doctor if you're concerned or if your swollen lymph nodes: Have appeared for no apparent reason. Continue to enlarge or have been present for two to four weeks. Feel hard or rubbery, or don't move when you push on them.
Lymph nodes commonly swell if we have an infection but they usually go back to normal over a short time. 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.
Lymphoma lumps have a rubbery feel and are usually painless. While some lymphoma lumps develop within a matter of days, others can take months or even years to become noticeable.
Diagnosing secondary cancer in the lymph nodes
If a lymph node close to the surface of the skin is affected, your doctor may be able to see it or feel it.
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.
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.
Don't squeeze the nodes.
Poking and squeezing lymph nodes may keep them from shrinking back to normal size. Remember that it may take a month for the nodes to return to normal. They won't completely disappear.
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.
If left untreated, the swollen glands can lead to abscess formation, a collection of pus caused by an infection, or a blood stream infection. Use of a warm compress, over-the-counter pain medication and adequate rest are typically all that is required to relieve the symptoms of swollen glands.
While it may not be familiar, stress can certainly cause swollen lymph nodes. First, these small organs are located throughout the body.
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.
Swollen glands should go down within 2 weeks. You can help to ease the symptoms by: resting. drinking plenty of fluids (to avoid dehydration)
Typical malignant cervical lymph nodes are larger in size, rounded in shape (S/L > 0.5), have loss of the echogenic hilum, appear homogenously hypoechoic, demonstrate peripheral or mixed vascularity, and demonstrate high vascular resistance.
You should make an appointment with your GP if you have a swollen gland and no other signs of illness or infection. They are hard or unmovable – Unfortunately, apart from being painless and abnormally large, swollen lymph nodes in leukaemia or lymphoma tend to feel quite similar to infected lymph nodes.
But there can be other causes, too: Autoimmune disorders such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. Some vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccines, which can cause temporary lymph node swelling when your body makes antibodies against future infection.