Lump behind knee - fuelling my lymphoma/cancer fears

[Aussie11]

I went to the doctor last week about the enlarged lymph nodes in my groin which have been there for a couple of months. He said they were ok as they were soft and probably from viral infection. However I haven't been sick in terms of infections all year. I also told him I have 2 smaller pea sized ones near left collarbone. Again he said fine as they were soft and movable. He said to keep my eye on it for 4 weeks and come back if still there then. I've had them though for 2 months, I thought that would be long enough to be a worry though!

Anyway this week I have now got a large lump behind my left knee. This is the side I have the most nodes up in my groin. The lump is about and inch round and sticks out about 1cm. I'm not going mad as other people have noticed it too. I looks like fluid behind the knee but I noticed I could feel a few nodes about 1cm there last weekend so not sure if one or more of them have suddenly increased in size or if it's something different. Has anyone had this before and does it sound like a lymph node?

Recent bloods were all fine but I know that doesn't apparently show much regarding lymph nodes and only biopsy would - but getting a doctor to refer me for biopsy is hard it appears!

[Going home]

Some people's nodes come up more than others but it doesn't mean you are ill. Your doctor doesn't seem worried about this, so try not be yourself..I know its hard. It might be an idea to mention it to your doctor and get his/her opinion on it.

Best wishes
Anna xx

[crazyhayz]

going thru the same thing. got loads in groin and neck. not painful, squishy so doc not conerned. ulktrasound showed elarged nodes and bloods all normal. so doctors arent concrned and told me to come back if they get bigger.but i dont think theyve got bigger (and its been 7-8 weeks since i was in hospital) but i think theyve got harder...so guna go bk to docs in 2 weeks and get more bloods done as advised by a doctor this week. i just cannot accept bloods as being confirmation i dont have lymphoma, so guna demand a biopsy once ive had these bloods i think, im sick of the worry tbh.. i think ur knee deffo sounds like a node. so go bk to docs on monday or asap, and ask them to check it out. id ask for more bloods, including an LDH blood tests which specifically looks at lymphoma, (i had this and was normal, but doc said its not always accurate.....stupid doctor lol). but i agree docs dont wanna biopsy unless theres a mahoosive lump there lol

[Aussie11]

Thanks for your replies. I went to the A&E this afternoon about the lymph nodes and pelvic pain. They did more bloods, all fine. They did urine test, no infection, but trace of blood. It always shows blood in there but they never seem fussed about it even when I say every urine test always shows this. I guess if my kidney function tests came back abnormal they would be more worried about this.

She said that the lump behind my knee was probably popliteal cyst, called baker's cyst. But she said to go back to GP and get ultrasound on it. She confirmed that the lumps in my groin are very likely lymph nodes and could also feel them in my upper thigh. I saw in her report she wrote that they are small, non-tender, non-mobile and firm. This has made me really panic as I didn't realise they were non-mobile and I know this is apparently feature of malignant or lymphoma nodes!! She recommended getting pelvic ultrasound as well.

She said to go back to GP and get referral tomorrow or early this week - obviously doesn't realise it takes 2 weeks to get a NHS GP appointment!!

My private GP has referred me to General Physician so I guess I'll just get him to order the tests instead.

[Aussie11]

I managed to get an urgent appointment at my NHS GP today. I took the letter from the A&E doctor which recommended GP refer me for ultrasound of pelvic area and behind knee to look at lymph nodes. I saw a different GP within the same practice and she was really lovely. She went through all my previous test results, listened to my whole year long story and reassured me that everything seemed fine and there was nothing indicating lymphoma - she said the inflammatory markers would probably be up, something would be wrong with my full blood count, and my chest xray was also normal so this was also reassuring.

She examined me and felt where I said I ha enlarged lymph nodes, in my groin and thigh, behind knee and also near collarbone. She said the lumps in my groin and thigh did not feel like lymph nodes at all and the lump behind my knee was definitely a popliteal cyst or bakers cyst. My physio had also told me on Monday that she didn't think the groin and thigh lumps were lymph nodes, and were probably muscle or soft tissue instead. The GP also felt my collarbone and neck area and said she felt no enlarged nodes. She finally said she could feel one lump that I was talking about, but she said it wasn't enlarged, it was only really small. So perhaps those rumours on internet about collarbone lymph nodes always being sinister even if you can only just feel them is a bit of rubbish.

I brought up with her about my low back and chronic pelvic pain, as well as my hair loss, and she has referred me for blood tests to test for Rhumatoid Factor and ANA (to test for Lupus or other autoimmune disorders). I thought I'd already been tested for these but turns out I wasn't.

I'm also seeing a general physician to go over everything on Monday in case anything has been missed. Unfortunately I've used up my outpatient allowance on private health so it will be coming out of my own pocket, but worth it I think considering how bad my health anxiety has been lately!

[Rachel W]

I have been worrying about a lot of bumps lately as well. To know that someone can have bumpiness around areas without it actually being lymph nodes is reassuring. Did she say how to tell the difference?

I am glad that you found someone who would really listen and sympathise.

[Aussie11]

Hi Rachel, no she didn't say how to tell the difference unfortunately. She felt the ones in groin area and said straight away that's not lymph nodes and then felt the ones on back of thigh/behind knee area for a while trying to work out what they were and then finally said they weren't lymph nodes - but she didn't say what she thought they were.

I'm going to the general physician tomorrow so will find out what he thinks the lumps are and if they're anything to worry about.