Lump on jaw - urgent referral

[AllThingsServeTheBeam]

Just hoping someone can calm my nerves though I know no one can actually know.

DS has had a pea like lump just above his jawline. It's been there a number of weeks but last week got a bit bigger and he said it was a bit tender so I called the gp. I had a phone consultation on Friday and as expected he wanted to see him so we've been tonight. He gave it a good feel and, I might have read the room wrong, looked a bit worried. He got him on the bed and felt his belly and under his arms (I'm assuming to check for lymph nodes?) And then said it is probably nothing but he needed to speak to the peadiatric team at the hospital as it was in an odd place, so to go and wait in the waiting room. 20 mins later and he has an urgent appointment tomorrow at 9am. I am obviously thinking the worst and I've stupidly googled.

Has anyone had any experience of anything like this before. Never been so worried in my life. He is just 10.

No experience of this specifically but I'd say don't worry about 'urgent referral' - it sounds scary but the vast majority of the time it's just ruling something out not because it's highly likely there's something really bad. I have one as right now well for bowel issues, but I know it doesn't mean I have bowel cancer, there are plenty of other things it could be and the need to rule out cancer on the very off chance.

@Echobelly

No experience of this specifically but I'd say don't worry about 'urgent referral' - it sounds scary but the vast majority of the time it's just ruling something out not because it's highly likely there's something really bad. I have one as right now well for bowel issues, but I know it doesn't mean I have bowel cancer, there are plenty of other things it could be and the need to rule out cancer on the very off chance.

I know. I keep telling myself this. But then there is always that, but what if, at the back of my mind. I am so so thankful it is tomorrow and we don't need to wait for weeks. He is fine in himself. I'm keep telling myself I'm sure it's nothing..

Thank you for replying

Bump

I can see how this is worrying for you, I hope he's absolutely fine and it's something very minor. Chances are I'm right and you will wonder why you panicked so much

My toddler had a lump appear during the day just under his jaw line. Went to the GP, who brought another GP in to have a look. Also felt like there was a chill in the air… She said go to A&E that night or paeds day unit the next day with her referral - we went for the next day. Lots of checks over but… it was fine. I think they suspected a reaction to a virus. Three years later and its not happened again. Hope your story is also with a happy ending.

I have no experience of this but I want to give you a handhold
I wonder if they put you on the 2 week pathway that they use to rule sinister things out, and they happened to have a cancellation come up tomorrow morning?
Very best wishes to you and DS.
I also know that concerned look - sometimes it's purely when they feel an area and they are concentrating. Good luck tomorrow!

I think it’s highly likely the GP doesn’t know what it is and has made a referral to get a decision quickly. Try not to worry, as hard as it is

Urgent referrals are 99% of the time about ruling out the things that really ARE urgent (and then 9/10 times, they rule out the worrying option and you shuffle off back to the regular treatment timeline and wait forever for a face to face....)

DS was referred by an ENT to general paediatrics for urgent bloods and full review when he was 2. They literally made the referral at 6pm, and insisted on the first appointment with the senior paediatrician the next day. The next day was Christmas Eve.

Anyway - Christmas was awful but DS was fine. All normal results received in the new year . But because his initial presentation was a bit peculiar and suggested a much worse possibility, the ENT had to respond as if he believed it really could be the worst- even if the likelihood was tiny (and he was 99.9% sure it WASNT anything serious).

Likelihood is your DS is fine and your mind is put at ease faster. I know it’s hard but try not to panic

A huge part of the GP's job is managing risk, and they have to be even more careful with children because of how absolutely awful it would be if they were to miss something. But of course that means a lot of people have to go through scary waits and tests when actually it's nothing serious. The percentage of people who get referred urgently and turn out to have cancer is SO low - it's actually below 5%, of everyone who goes down the urgent referral pathway (including much more at-risk groups).

I know that anything other than being certain he's okay won't take away your fear completely, but in terms of managing, and getting through it, just try to hold onto the knowledge that so, so, SO many things can present with an unexplained symptom that the GP can't resolve, and their job under those circumstances is to send you on to someone who can. It truly does not mean it's malignant, getting seen so fast.

When the Junior Engineer had his first HV appointment they spotted a lump on his neck. Immediate call to paediatrics and we were in hospital within two days having scans.
In his case it was a cyst - he still has one under the skin on his cheek - and they said to us at the time that sometimes children just have a bit of extra tissue generated in utero and it sticks around as a cyst. Sometimes it's absorbed back into the body and sometimes it isn't.

@Driposaurus

My toddler had a lump appear during the day just under his jaw line. Went to the GP, who brought another GP in to have a look. Also felt like there was a chill in the air… She said go to A&E that night or paeds day unit the next day with her referral - we went for the next day. Lots of checks over but… it was fine. I think they suspected a reaction to a virus. Three years later and its not happened again. Hope your story is also with a happy ending.

How long was the bump there for? This has been a few weeks now. And it's just above his jaw rather than below.

Thank you for your positive story!

@MrsRussell

When the Junior Engineer had his first HV appointment they spotted a lump on his neck. Immediate call to paediatrics and we were in hospital within two days having scans. In his case it was a cyst - he still has one under the skin on his cheek - and they said to us at the time that sometimes children just have a bit of extra tissue generated in utero and it sticks around as a cyst. Sometimes it's absorbed back into the body and sometimes it isn't.

Is it hard? DS's is really hard and round.

Thank you everyone. I know I'm working myself up and it could be (hope it's) nothing. Fingers crossed we know more in the morning.

DP is taking him as he drives and I assume you're only allowed 1 person to go with him due to covid !

Ok, so update. The Dr wasn't concerned at all. He sent him for a blood test to put my mind at ease but would have sent him home without one if dp hadn't said I was worried (out of ear shot of Ds)

So he is back at school and the blood results will be phoned through when they've received them!

Thank you all for your encouraging words last night

I'm so glad to read this update, @AllThingsServeTheBeam !

Surely is, @AllThingsServeTheBeam. (Sorry I didn't see this last night!)

It feels like a lentil in his cheek, now. He's 11 and he's still got it.

Lovely update OP!!

The bloods are also fine! We just need to keep an eye on it and if it gets bigger to call the gp back.

Hiya. Just check it's not a tooth problem if his teeth haven't been checked recently- although I'm sure the paediatrician would have checked that out.

Fantastic update.

@AllThingsServeTheBeam Hi! I have a pea sized lump on my jaw and have for many years. It doesn't seem to get any bigger and isn't a bother. Hoping this may be of some reassurance?