Lump/swelling on right side of throat?

[SamL94]

So since last May I have had a sore throat (like a lump when I swallow). For the first few months it was in the middle, then for a while it was just on the left side, and now it is just on the right side. I was diagnosed with everything from Thrush, to Tonsilitis, to Globus Sensation, and also different types of infections which I can't remember the names of. I have been given many courses of treatment, none of which successful.

But then recently I found a lump on the right side of my throat. Like I say a few weeks ago the sore throat moved to just my right side, and I then just happened to feel this lump. It basically feels like I have a 2nd Adam's apple just to the right side of my centre one, and then behind this second Adam's apple I can feel a lump, maybe a little smaller than a golf ball, when I turn and look to the left. When I first felt this in probably early January it was quite small, and people I showed it to could hardly feel it, but now it is maybe 2/3 bigger. It isn't very noticeable to feel when looking forward but like I say when I turn and look to the left it sticks out and can actually been seen under my skin. Then in just the past few days I have started getting a stinging feeling on this 2nd Adam's apple when I swallow. If I look up and swallow the sting is really bad so I have to look to the floor each time I swallow. I went to see a throat/thyroid specialist last week and they have put me in for an urgent ultrasound on Wednesday, but as you can probably guess I am very worried.

Other symptoms I have had are also ear pain (though that has actually eased off recently) and about 70lbs in weight loss in the past year. I have been on a strict diet since early 2015 and always put my weight loss down to that but obviously am now worrying it's down to something more sinister. Another thing is that this sore throat actually gets betters when I eat. While I am eating it goes away practically all together and feels ok for a good 15-20 mins afterwards. I don't know if this makes it sound more/less likely to be cancer.

Does anybody know what this sounds like because I can't find many other cases online. Does the sore throat I have had since last May and this lump sound connected? And if so, why has it taken until January for a noticeable lump to start growing? And why was my sore throat on the left side for months before moving to my right side, where this lump is? Any suggestions would be great because I am stumped

EDIT: Something I forgot to mention is that I have noticed that for quite a while now I have been sort of 'hiccuping'. These are not full grown hiccups I am doing but is is definately like wind is coming up my body (idk it hard to explain). I go through phases of doing this through a day but I wouldn't be surprised if this is happening over 100 times a day to me. Now I know that throat problems can be caused by types of acid reflux. Does this sound like a form of acid reflux or GERD to you and if you would this cause physical swelling?

[Fishmanpa]

No one can even speculate so it's best to see your doctor or an ENT to determine what, if anything, the issue is. The fact that it comes and goes and moves around bodes quite well as something sinister would take root and grow. And for goodness sakes, DO NOT GOOGLE!

Positive thoughts

[SamL94]

No one can even speculate so it's best to see your doctor or an ENT to determine what, if anything, the issue is. The fact that it comes and goes and moves around bodes quite well as something sinister would take root and grow. And for goodness sakes, DO NOT GOOGLE!

Positive thoughts

Well the sore throat DID move from side to side the first few months I had it, but now it is stationary on my right side, where my lump/swelling is. Well in fact it's not really a 'sore throat' as such, more of a stinging feeling on the right side, around where the swelling is, when I swallow.

I have an appointment to have an ultrasound on my neck tomorrow. I don't know if this person is an ENT specialist but obviously I'd presume they know what they are looking at.

[SamL94]

So I had the ultrasound on my neck today and basically, they couldn't find anything. They had a good look at my thyroid and also the rest of my throat/neck and couldn't find a thing. No cancer, no tumour, no infection, no swelling. Nothing. The guy who did it even called in the head of department so she could have a 2nd look, and she couldn't find anything either.

They said the only thing that looked 'un-normal' is that I had a slightly asymmetrical thyroid, which is why I can feel it more on one side compared to the other.

This still doesn't explain the sore throat I have had since last May, and also doesn't explain why this 'lump' has gotten bigger in the past few weeks. They asked me to show them where the lump was and they went over and over it with the scanner and said it is just my thyroid cartridge. They didn't even bother taking a biopsy because they said there is nothing wrong.

The problem is it's not just that I am being paranoid. My GP could feel that the lump had gotten bigger between around December when I went to see them about it, and 3 weeks ago. And the specialist even acknowledged that there was a lump there, which is why they sent my for an urgent ultrasound.

Would anybody be able to elaborate on why the ultrasound didn't pick up anything, and does this definitely mean it is nothing sinister?

[Fishmanpa]

So I had the ultrasound on my neck today and basically, they couldn't find anything. They had a good look at my thyroid and also the rest of my throat/neck and couldn't find a thing. No cancer, no tumour, no infection, no swelling. Nothing. The guy who did it even called in the head of department so she could have a 2nd look, and she couldn't find anything either.

They said the only thing that looked 'un-normal' is that I had a slightly asymmetrical thyroid, which is why I can feel it more on one side compared to the other.

This still doesn't explain the sore throat I have had since last May, and also doesn't explain why this 'lump' has gotten bigger in the past few weeks. They asked me to show them where the lump was and they went over and over it with the scanner and said it is just my thyroid cartridge. They didn't even bother taking a biopsy because they said there is nothing wrong.

The problem is it's not just that I am being paranoid. My GP could feel that the lump had gotten bigger between around December when I went to see them about it, and 3 weeks ago. And the specialist even acknowledged that there was a lump there, which is why they sent my for an urgent ultrasound.

Would anybody be able to elaborate on why the ultrasound didn't pick up anything, and does this definitely mean it is nothing sinister?

That's great news! You should be jumping for joy! The bottom line is there's nothing wrong IMO. The ultrasound didn't pick up anything because there was nothing to pick up. Your doctor felt the same thing you did which is just asymmetrical thyroid cartilage. We're asymmetrical by nature so that's a good thing.

Can't tell you why your throat is sore. You certainly pay to get a 2nd opinion but I think you'd be just chasing a diagnosis that will never come.

Positive thoughts

[SamL94]

That's great news! You should be jumping for joy! The bottom line is there's nothing wrong IMO. The ultrasound didn't pick up anything because there was nothing to pick up. Your doctor felt the same thing you did which is just asymmetrical thyroid cartilage. We're asymmetrical by nature so that's a good thing.

Can't tell you why your throat is sore. You certainly pay to get a 2nd opinion but I think you'd be just chasing a diagnosis that will never come.

Positive thoughts

First of all, thank you for the reply

I guess I have always been an anxious person, hence the worry. The problem is though the 'asymmetrical thyroid' explanation doesn't fully answer the problem because that still doesn't explain why the lump has grown in the past few weeks (and that's not just me being paranoid because family members I have shown this lump to have said the same thing and so did my GP).

Like I say I worry a lot and now I have now convinced myself that the reason the ultrasound didn't pick up this lump is because I actually have throat cancer, and the lump in under the skin, in my throat, rather than on my neck. Throat cancers can cause the skin to budge out, but obviously if it is inside your throat and has a layer of skin between it and your neck then the ultrasound won't pick it up. Everybody is telling me I should be happy and celebrate the 'all clear' but in truth I am still worried sick

[Fishmanpa]

SamL

You know I had head and neck cancer. I know quite a bit about it. Most if not all cases have no initial symptoms. My cancer apparently started on the back of my tongue. I had no symptoms. In my case, the initial lesion healed and by that time it had spread to the lymph nodes on the left side of my neck. Other than a slightly swollen node, no symptoms, no pain, no discomfort, nada.

That is how most cases are discovered and in many cases, including mine, it was far advanced by the time of diagnosis.

I know an entire forum and myself included who would be jumping for joy at your results. I hope you find the inner fortitude to accept your clear results and fight the real battle with the illness you do have... Anxiety. I have real physical issues that can bury me six feet under. You have something that's doing that to you above ground. BUT... you have it in your power to fight back and get treatment and I assure you the treatment for anxiety is far less difficult than the treatment for the disease you fear.

Positive thoughts

[SamL94]

SamL

You know I had head and neck cancer. I know quite a bit about it. Most if not all cases have no initial symptoms. My cancer apparently started on the back of my tongue. I had no symptoms. In my case, the initial lesion healed and by that time it had spread to the lymph nodes on the left side of my neck. Other than a slightly swollen node, no symptoms, no pain, no discomfort, nada.

That is how most cases are discovered and in many cases, including mine, it was far advanced by the time of diagnosis.

I know an entire forum and myself included who would be jumping for joy at your results. I hope you find the inner fortitude to accept your clear results and fight the real battle with the illness you do have... Anxiety. I have real physical issues that can bury me six feet under. You have something that's doing that to you above ground. BUT... you have it in your power to fight back and get treatment and I assure you the treatment for anxiety is far less difficult than the treatment for the disease you fear.

Positive thoughts

Hi and thanks for the reply again

First of all I am sorry to hear about what you are going through, and I can understand how you and others may think I am being disrespectful by going on and on about this worry of mine when other people have actually being diagnosed with cancer.

I'll be the first to admit that I am a very anxious person. I haven't been on holiday in 7 years because I have developed a fear of flying that I never had before. I have also developed a fear of trains, rollercoasters, surgery, and whenever I go to a public place such as a sporting event I worry sick that there is going to be a terrorist attack or something stupid like that.

But all these anxiety issues still do not mask the fact that I have a growing lump in my throat/neck. This is not just me being anxious/worried because like I say I went to my GP with it in December when it was hardly noticable and he turned me away. I then went back about 3 weeks ago to see the same guy and he felt this lump and said that something has definately grown, maybe 2/3 times in size. Yes I know it didn't show up in the ultrasound, but there's definately something that has grown. I've read about something called an 'unknown primary cancer' which doesn't always show up on ultrasound? Yes I know the scan was good news but until I get an answer for this growing lump/sore throat then I am always going to be worried about it.

And lastly I just want to apologise again if my panicking comes across as disrespectful. The last thing I would want to do is offend people, and I am not posting these comments in an effort to do so. I am posting these comments because I am genuinely very worried/scared.

[Kirui71]

what was it after all the tests we done?