What do lymphoma lumps feel like?
Noah Mitchell
Published Jan 12, 2026
A lymphoma lump will tend to be painless and feel rubbery when touched. Swollen lymph nodes caused by other conditions like the flu can make your lymph nodes swell and feel tender when touched. A lymphoma lump also tends to be movable under the skin versus hard and unmovable.
Are lymphoma lumps hard or soft?
The characteristics of lymphoma lumps
Lymphoma lumps have a rubbery feel and are usually painless. While some lymphoma lumps develop within a matter of days, others can take months or even years to become noticeable.
What are the signs that you have a cancerous lymph node?
What Are Signs and Symptoms of Cancerous Lymph Nodes?
- Lump(s) under the skin, such as in the neck, under the arm, or in the groin.
- Fever (may come and go over several weeks) without an infection.
- Drenching night sweats.
- Weight loss without trying.
- Itching skin.
- Feeling tired.
- Loss of appetite.
Is a lymphoma lump movable?
Swollen lymph nodes caused by lymphoma: are most commonly found in the neck, armpit or groin. are usually smooth and round. usually move out of the way when you press on them (are 'mobile')
Are lymphomas tender to touch?
Swollen lymph nodes
Although enlarged lymph nodes are a common symptom of lymphoma, they are much more often caused by infections. Lymph nodes that grow in reaction to infection are called reactive nodes or hyperplastic nodes and are often tender to the touch.
15 related questions foundHow big is a lymphoma lump?
Lymph nodes can swell for a variety of reasons and are considered to be enlarged if they are bigger than 1.5 centimeters in diameter, or slightly larger than a pea. Typically, lymph nodes that are enlarged due to lymphoma are much bigger and can grow to be the size of a grape (or larger).
What can be mistaken for lymphoma?
Conditions that non-Hodgkin Lymphoma is commonly misdiagnosed as include:
- Influenza.
- Hodgkin's lymphoma.
- Cat scratch fever.
- HIV.
- Infections.
- Mononucleosis.
How do you tell if a lump is a lymph node?
The difference between lymph nodes and lumps is that the lumps are typically movable, soft and feel sore and/or painful. You might even observe some skin reddening where the lumps originate. Swollen lymph nodes appear very fast, but breast cancer lumps grow a lot slower.
Will lymphoma show up in blood work?
Most types of lymphoma can't be diagnosed by a blood test. However, blood tests can help your medical team find out how lymphoma and its treatment are affecting your body. They can also be used to find out more about your general health.
Where does lymphoma usually start?
Lymphoma is cancer that begins in infection-fighting cells of the immune system, called lymphocytes. These cells are in the lymph nodes, spleen, thymus, bone marrow, and other parts of the body.
Are cancerous lymph nodes painful or painless?
With lymphoma, the lymph nodes often grow slowly and may be there for months or years before they're noticed. But sometimes they grow very quickly. Usually, the swollen nodes don't hurt. But some people say their lumps ache or are painful.
How long can you have lymphoma without knowing?
These grow so slowly that patients can live for many years mostly without symptoms, although some may experience pain from an enlarged lymph gland. After five to 10 years, low-grade disorders begin to progress rapidly to become aggressive or high-grade and produce more severe symptoms.
What does a swollen lymph node feel like?
Swollen lymph nodes will feel like soft, round bumps, and they may be the size of a pea or a grape. They might be tender to the touch, which indicates inflammation. In some cases, the lymph nodes will also look larger than usual. Lymph nodes appear in parallel on both sides of the body.
Can lymphoma lumps be pea sized?
Symptoms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Lymph nodes, also known as lymph glands, are pea-sized lumps of tissue found throughout the body. They contain white blood cells that help to fight against infection. The swelling is caused by a certain type of white blood cell, known as lymphocytes, collecting in the lymph node.
Are lymph nodes solid or fluid filled?
Lymph nodes are found in the neck, face, armpits, chest, abdomen, and groin. A fluid called lymph flows through the lymphatic system. Lymph contains lymphocytes (white blood cells) that fight infection, and it also carries bacteria, viruses, and other germs away from your tissues.
Does lymphoma cause weight gain?
Weight gain is also extremely common among patients with prostate cancer, as well as lymphoma, multiple myeloma and chronic leukemia.
What are night sweats like with lymphoma?
Drenching night sweats. Many people with Hodgkin lymphoma say their nightclothes or the sheets on the bed were so wet they needed to be changed during the night. Sometimes, heavy sweating occurs during the day.
Can you feel lymph nodes in neck?
Lymph nodes can always be felt in the neck and groin. They are about the size of a bean.
What is pea-sized lump on neck?
A pea-sized lump in the neck is most likely a swollen lymph node and a sign your body is fighting an infection or an allergic reaction. If the lump, also known as a mass, retreats within a week or so and you have no other symptoms, then no medical attention is required.
When should I worry about a lump on the side of my neck?
You may need medical attention for a neck lump if you have the following signs and symptoms: The lump lasts longer than two to three weeks. The lump gets larger. The lump gets smaller but does not completely go away.
What does a cancerous lump feel like?
Bumps that are cancerous are typically large, hard, painless to the touch and appear spontaneously. The mass will grow in size steadily over the weeks and months. Cancerous lumps that can be felt from the outside of your body can appear in the breast, testicle, or neck, but also in the arms and legs.
How is lymphoma detected early?
The best way to find lymphoma early is to pay attention to possible signs and symptoms. One of the most common symptoms is enlargement of one or more lymph nodes, causing a lump or bump under the skin which is usually not painful. This is most often on the side of the neck, in the armpit, or in the groin.
Can an infection mimic lymphoma?
Unfortunately, these biopsies can lead to a misdiagnosis of lymphoma, as involvement of lymphoid tissue by acute EBV infection can resemble both Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This relatively common pitfall can result in inappropriate treatment.
Can lymphoma be missed?
Lymphoma can be misdiagnosed or fail to be diagnosed if a physician mistakes symptoms for another disease and fails to do a biopsy or blood test. In some cases, blood tests or biopsies can also be erroneously diagnosed as other diseases by pathologists that are not well trained in detecting lymphoma.
Can you feel lymph nodes in neck if not swollen?
Usually lymph nodes are not enlarged and thus not able to be felt, but if you have previously had an infection (such as tonsillitis) you may have noticed and felt lymph node becoming enlarged, painful and tender. Lymph nodes can also become enlarged due to cancer cells lodging in them.