This morning while showering I noticed a pea-sized lump for the first time in my armpit. It’s tender when touched (no pain otherwise) yet very firm. It’s just under the skin, yet not visible. I would have my doctor check it out but I’m between doctors right now, so I figured this is the next best place to ask about it. Could it be cancerous? Anyone have experience with this kind of thing? I’m not a nervous person, just a curious person with common sense so let me know whatever you think. If it helps any, I don’t remember being eerily abducted recently.
There is really no way advice like this can be given out over a message board. It might be nothing (maybe a lymph node) or it might be something bad.
In short, go see a doctor. If you can’t afford one free clinics exist in many cities.
Better safe than sorry.
Hie the to a doctor, if a chest x-ray isn’t suggested, ask. I used to get half-pea sized lumps frequently and an x-ray didn’t turn up anything. I now think it was an allergic reaction, probably to the antipersperant I had been using. I switched to a deodorant and still got them. Switched to another deoderant and they went away. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find that particular deodorant (Brut wide-solid) and tried using their cooling stick, only to get lumps again. Switched to Brut spray and they went away again. Last lump I had was a couple of weeks ago, evidently it was just a new hair sprouting.
::whacks head::
Make that, “Hie thee to a doctor…”
mmm…very interesting. I usually use Tom’s of Maine Deodorant (an excellent all-natural deodorant, by the way; I highly recommend trying it), but a couple of weeks ago I lost it and have been using Right Guard Anti-Perspirant in its stead. I have never been keen on the idea of anti-perspirant (artificially preventing perspiration?..oh well, that’s a whole other thread), so had never used it pre-now. The Right Guard was from a friend and was the only deodorant I could find to use. The allergic reaction road may be a good one to explore. Thanks, Jeff.
If anyone has other suggestions, please send them along. I’d like to have a few ideas to take with me if I feel the need to go to the doctor.
Head to a Doctor, pronto.
Breast Cancer 
(and yes, men can get breast cancer too), can present that way - GET IT CHECKED! Please!
Al.
I always respond to these, “What diseaese do I have threads,” with the advice the rest of the posters have offered; go to a doctor.
But before you go, give your lump a good hard squeeze (but don’t hurt yourself). If some whitish, yellowish smelly stuff comes out then you’ve diagnosed yourself with a sebaceous cyst, which, BTW are common and universally benign.
I was going to post the same thing. If this turns out to be the culprit and you feel compelled to share the details, kindly post it in MPSIMS.
Thank you.
Jill
I fully understand where you’re coming from, Jill, but this health issue is neither “mindless” nor “pointless.” Isn’t there a better place for it? Cafe society?
As to the OP, what have you got to gain by delaying a visit to the physician?
I have one right now under my pit- it’s a cyst. And in my case, I had a sudden rash of the damn things.
Head to a doctor as soon as you can, but don’t panic. In my case, the doctor gave me a novacaine shot or some such thing and then sliced 'er open and popped it out.
It sounds gorier than it really is. All told, it took the doctor about a half-hour to remove three of the bastards.
They’ll have them tested to make sure it’s not cancerous, but it really isn’t anything to get worked up about.
Call the doc and ask when you can see him next. Better yet, see a skin person, that’s who I saw, and he knew within a minute what it was. He also was able to stitch it up so the scar was nearly invisible.
Ah, now there’s something to enjoy coffee over. Eeeewwwww.
Seriously, check with a doc if only for the peace of mind.
I daresay that Jill was merely suggesting that if the lump turned out to be a sebaceous cyst, and if the OP felt compelled to share the icky results of the proposed treatment (a good squeeze), then perhaps GQ doesn’t need to read those particularly yukky parts.
I’ve had one of those for a several years now, but each time I asked the doc about it, he dismissed it as nothing…
Of course now that you have me all worried, I have no health insurance…feh
Im not a doc but know a thing or two. Because of where it is, I’m thinking lipoma. A nodule thingy composed of fat.
I think that if the doctor wants to do a biopsy he would put a needle in it & if it was a cyst, it would then drain & the biopsy wouldn’t be needed anymore?
I have stuck a needle in them sometimes myself just to check. I hope no one us hurling yet.
If it hurts when you touch it you can be pretty sure it is an INFECTED something. Could be a cyst or an ingrown hair. Not likely to be malignant as cancerous lumps are almost always painless. Nevertheless, see a doctor.
like everyone else has said, go see a doctor.
But in the meantime, stop using the right guard. Many people (myself included) are allergic or sensitive to the ingredient containing aluminum, which is common in antiperspirants. If the lump disappears a few days later, that’s probably all it is.
[pardon the hijack here: At the risk of offending nasally sensitive individuals, I’ll share with you that I stopped using deodorant or antiperspirant entirely, about 10 years ago, and have found that I really don’t need it. Both my wife and my mom–both of whom are equipped with incredibly sensitive, finicky sniffers and comfortable with telling me what I should and shouldn’t do–say it’s gross not to use deodorant but admit they are unable to detect any trace of malodor on or about my person. Individual metabolisms vary greatly, and deodorant manufacturers spend millions to convince us otherwise, but most people smell fine without enhancements (assuming daily showers and an air-conditioned place of employment). If you have an SO who will be frank with you, try it for a day. Ok, I’ll get off my soapbox now. sorry.]
some people need daily showers some twice daily, some more some less.
Pablito,
I’ll second you on that. I haven’t used deoderant regularly in probably 7 months. Haven’t gotten any negative responses. Although, I also haven’t had a date in that time…
Well said, Manny. Let’s now return our collective gaze to such issues as “Copious Amount of Ejaculate” or “Heavy Menstrual Flow” or possibly “Velocity of Flatulence.”
[insert grin here]