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What does parotid tumor feel like?
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What does parotid tumor feel like?

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › What does parotid tumor feel like?

  • Post
    • July 25, 2018 at 7:26 pm
    maddiecmac
    Participant

      Stage IA, left temple, WLE in May.

      Feel a hard, very small lump directly under left ear / behind jaw bone. My jaw has begun to click when I open it – I thought it was just TMJ from years of orthodontics.

      My doctors never feel directly under my ear, they've always felt for lymph nodes (under jaw, neck, behind ear in scalp, armpit, groin) but never have felt directly under my ear. 

      Anyone who has had experience with parotid mets or tumors, can you tell me more about what that felt like?

      Should I bring it up with my doctors?

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    • Replies
        • July 26, 2018 at 3:07 am
        miaka618
        Participant

          Yes, you should definitely bring it up with your doctor. There are quite a few lymph nodes around the jaw. One of my positive lymph nodes was under the ear near the jaw bone. It's best to play it safe.

          Good luck to you!

            • July 26, 2018 at 9:16 am
            NSNewf
            Participant

              I had a positive SNB in the left side of my neck. Subsequent surgery declared me NED.  While shaving a few months later I noticed swelling below right ear. Follow up with my ENT was determined to be a node that was always enlarged. Stay calm but follow up with doc

            • July 31, 2018 at 12:54 am
            Amanda_3784
            Participant
              Yes, I had a parotid tumor removed. It was a hard lump on the left side of my face just in front of my ear. Started out small and grew rapidly.
              • August 17, 2018 at 1:12 am
              jrtufo
              Participant

                Get yourself to the best ENT within driving distance.  ENTs see lots more parotid issues than dermatolagists or even general oncologists.  Mine was an annoying smaller than a pea size hard lump, until it wasn't.  It grew from pea sized to peach pit sized in about 12 weeks.  Even though it looked like a cyst on the scan and didn't show any evidence of problems with a needle biopsy my ENT wanted it out.  Thank Goodness!

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