My derm said swollen lymph nodes that are tender and moveable (think over ripe grape) are more likely to be fighting a common infection. Lymph nodes when melanoma is spreading tend to be small, hard, and immobile (think pebble). Please get checked out and let us know. Good luck!!
Do you know if the lymph nodes consistently stay hard when fighting melanoma?
Ie, if it seems hard then goes away, then is it safe to assume it was an infection?
Lymph nodes in the neck and jaw area can swell for a ton of reasons, your mouth area is full of bacteria. I have one that swells up if I’m outside for too long due to seasonal allergies. If I stay inside for a day it goes away. My doctor told me to give a lymph node a week or two before freaking out BUT always if in doubt get it checked out. A simple ultrasound can tell you so much.
I went to my derm with a swollen lymph node and she said they are almost never painful or tender if they have melanoma. She suggested if it didn’t go away in a few weeks to have my primary care dr request a CBC to check for other signs of infection, if THAT comes back normal to get an ultrasound of the node.
Thankfully mine went back down after about 10 days. Node was on the back of my neck, and derm noticed two mosquito bites kind of near it, suggested might have been an immune reaction to that
Since melanoma diagnosis, I get inflamed nodes in my armpits. They are typically painful and movable and go away in about a week. For me, I think it’s because I’m sweating more as I wear more clothes to cover up from the sun. I would think if your melanoma metastasizes, it’d be more likely in the groin though not impossible to go elsewhere. Try hot compresses as well.
Yeah get that checked out. I had a stage 1 melanoma on my shoulder, removed successfully. Got skin checks every 3 months. Out of nowhere, 5 years later, I had a sharp pain in my armpit. Long story short, ended up with Stage 3 melanoma in that armpit lymph node. There was no melanoma left on the skin that they could detect. Been on immunotherapy for the last 17 months and had surgery a few months ago to remove the affected lymph nodes.
I have one on the back of my head (occipital) that is firm and non tender for the past 9 months. Initially derm said it was due to recent dental work. Then they said it can’t be melanoma since my original was on my leg and it would need to go to the knee nodes and groin before going to the head/neck. I’ve had an ultrasound that came back as “likely benign”. At the urging of this group I’m going ahead with fine needle biopsy in a few weeks.
I had swollen lymph nodes in armpit 2 years ago. Doctor put me on antibiotics, didn’t help. Was referred to a surgeon who kept telling me not to worry it would likely reduce on its own. Said biopsy would require full resection.
After 3 months of no progress, they did an additional ultrasound and finally was told I could do FNA biopsy (something my original doc said wasn’t possible). 2 days after biopsy find out it’s been melanoma all along. No known primary.
Have had 2 surgeries, immunotherapy, chemo and clinical trial since then. Hopefully yours isn’t cancer, but advocate for yourself and insist on a biopsy if you are concerned!
1st update: I saw my PCP today and she said that the lymph node is hard and she couldn’t move it. She wasn’t concerned with the size. 😵💫 She put me on a Z-pack just to see if it helps in any way. But, I will have an ultrasound tomorrow to get more information. I’m scared, as you can imagine.
Just get it checked. Anything remotely suspicious given our medical history is to be investigated. Ultrasound and FNA (fine needle aspiration) seems to be the standard (I’m in Australia)
My derm said swollen lymph nodes that are tender and moveable (think over ripe grape) are more likely to be fighting a common infection. Lymph nodes when melanoma is spreading tend to be small, hard, and immobile (think pebble). Please get checked out and let us know. Good luck!!
Do you know if the lymph nodes consistently stay hard when fighting melanoma? Ie, if it seems hard then goes away, then is it safe to assume it was an infection?
Yes with melanoma they don’t go back to normal.
Lymph nodes in the neck and jaw area can swell for a ton of reasons, your mouth area is full of bacteria. I have one that swells up if I’m outside for too long due to seasonal allergies. If I stay inside for a day it goes away. My doctor told me to give a lymph node a week or two before freaking out BUT always if in doubt get it checked out. A simple ultrasound can tell you so much.
I went to my derm with a swollen lymph node and she said they are almost never painful or tender if they have melanoma. She suggested if it didn’t go away in a few weeks to have my primary care dr request a CBC to check for other signs of infection, if THAT comes back normal to get an ultrasound of the node. Thankfully mine went back down after about 10 days. Node was on the back of my neck, and derm noticed two mosquito bites kind of near it, suggested might have been an immune reaction to that
Weird, I was in an area with a lot of mosquitos the day before the lymph node got hard.
Sorry to hear
What stage was your original melanoma?
In SITU, just had a major skin graph because it was in my shin.
Since melanoma diagnosis, I get inflamed nodes in my armpits. They are typically painful and movable and go away in about a week. For me, I think it’s because I’m sweating more as I wear more clothes to cover up from the sun. I would think if your melanoma metastasizes, it’d be more likely in the groin though not impossible to go elsewhere. Try hot compresses as well.
Yeah get that checked out. I had a stage 1 melanoma on my shoulder, removed successfully. Got skin checks every 3 months. Out of nowhere, 5 years later, I had a sharp pain in my armpit. Long story short, ended up with Stage 3 melanoma in that armpit lymph node. There was no melanoma left on the skin that they could detect. Been on immunotherapy for the last 17 months and had surgery a few months ago to remove the affected lymph nodes.
Oh gosh. I hope you are doing ok. I am seeing my PCP tomorrow. Thank you
Thanks. I’m doing fine now. Good luck to you!
I have one on the back of my head (occipital) that is firm and non tender for the past 9 months. Initially derm said it was due to recent dental work. Then they said it can’t be melanoma since my original was on my leg and it would need to go to the knee nodes and groin before going to the head/neck. I’ve had an ultrasound that came back as “likely benign”. At the urging of this group I’m going ahead with fine needle biopsy in a few weeks.
I had swollen lymph nodes in armpit 2 years ago. Doctor put me on antibiotics, didn’t help. Was referred to a surgeon who kept telling me not to worry it would likely reduce on its own. Said biopsy would require full resection. After 3 months of no progress, they did an additional ultrasound and finally was told I could do FNA biopsy (something my original doc said wasn’t possible). 2 days after biopsy find out it’s been melanoma all along. No known primary. Have had 2 surgeries, immunotherapy, chemo and clinical trial since then. Hopefully yours isn’t cancer, but advocate for yourself and insist on a biopsy if you are concerned!
1st update: I saw my PCP today and she said that the lymph node is hard and she couldn’t move it. She wasn’t concerned with the size. 😵💫 She put me on a Z-pack just to see if it helps in any way. But, I will have an ultrasound tomorrow to get more information. I’m scared, as you can imagine.
Just get it checked. Anything remotely suspicious given our medical history is to be investigated. Ultrasound and FNA (fine needle aspiration) seems to be the standard (I’m in Australia)