HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Swollen lymph node in neck & on hand should I panic?

Lani · 04-11-2006, 06:50 PM

Swollen lymph nodes can be a sign of an infection. DO you have a sore throat, runny nose, sinus infection, ear ache, infected tooth or gums. Are the lymph nodes on the same side as your breast cancer? Are no other lymph nodes enlarged anywhere else (including the other side of your neck)? Is the lymph node tender (usually with an infection, but not always)

Breast cancer virtually never metastasizes beyond the wrist or ankles. A firm(not stony hard) lump on the back of your wrist is a "ganglion cyst" until proven otherwise. Does it get bigger and or smaller. A "ganglion" is a hernia of the wrist joint, where the lining of the joint has a weak, thin part of its wall. When the joint is irritated it makes extra fluid and the extra fluid bulges out through the weak point in that joint lining wall.

In olden days people hit their ganglions with a Bible to burst them. Nowadays, when they need treatment (they often don't) they get aspirated (fluid drawn off from them) and injected. Rarely do they get operated on (and they can come back after surgery). The ratio of ganglions on the wrist to breast cancer mets of the wrist (even when only looking at the population of breast cancer patients) is probably about 10,000 to 1.

I am not an oncologist, but hope this information will put your mind at ease until you see someone.

04-11-2006, 06:50 PM	#2
Lani Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 4,778	Save yourself worry by informing yourself Swollen lymph nodes can be a sign of an infection. DO you have a sore throat, runny nose, sinus infection, ear ache, infected tooth or gums. Are the lymph nodes on the same side as your breast cancer? Are no other lymph nodes enlarged anywhere else (including the other side of your neck)? Is the lymph node tender (usually with an infection, but not always) Breast cancer virtually never metastasizes beyond the wrist or ankles. A firm(not stony hard) lump on the back of your wrist is a "ganglion cyst" until proven otherwise. Does it get bigger and or smaller. A "ganglion" is a hernia of the wrist joint, where the lining of the joint has a weak, thin part of its wall. When the joint is irritated it makes extra fluid and the extra fluid bulges out through the weak point in that joint lining wall. In olden days people hit their ganglions with a Bible to burst them. Nowadays, when they need treatment (they often don't) they get aspirated (fluid drawn off from them) and injected. Rarely do they get operated on (and they can come back after surgery). The ratio of ganglions on the wrist to breast cancer mets of the wrist (even when only looking at the population of breast cancer patients) is probably about 10,000 to 1. I am not an oncologist, but hope this information will put your mind at ease until you see someone.