Can rubbery lymph nodes ever not be cancer?

[MsAnnThropic]

Hi, I'm freaking out a bit, so thought I'd ask on here for others' experiences.

My glands have been up since September. First of all just the ones under my chin, but now behind my ear and more popping up down my neck in the last few weeks. They're very tender to touch.

Went to the docs about a month ago and my white blood cell count was slightly high. Had more bloods yesterday, just waiting for
results.

The nurse practicioner I saw yesterday wrote "rubbery lymph nodes" on her note pad.

It doesn't look good does it!?

I had these for a couple of years. Convinced myself I was HIV+ (a few of my friends had been recently diagnosed). The more I worried, the bigger they got. Needless to say they went down and I didn't have anything wrong with me.

Incidentally, people I know who have had breast cancer which has spread to the lymph nodes, they couldn't feel the lumps.

My mums cancerous lump was hard and painless - just very visible.

Hers wasn’t even a H and N cancer. I’ve always been told soft rubbery nodes are the ones that you don’t worry about.

I can’t really understand why your GP hasn’t just arranged an ultra sound of your lymph node? That would surely be a good way to see what was going on, I had a persistently swollen node in my neck which was up for 3 weeks, had an ultra sound told all was fine just a reactive node.
Your Gp must be pretty confident they don’t feel cancerous. Rubbery mobile lymph nodes are usually a good sign rather than a sinister sign.

Isn't (not a medic) white blood cells up a sign of infection, and sign of cancer that they're down? May be totally wrong there.

But anyway if the GP thought it was cancer they wouldn't be waiting 3 weeks. It's when they say you must be seen within a fortnight you wonder.