Hi,
I was diagnosed in late November of 2014. On w&w with appointments every 3 months until my last checkup in October 2015 where they 'signed me off' for 6 months after a FISH prognostic showed no 'bad' markers.
So far so good, apart from the lymph nodes in my neck and jaw. They have been swollen pretty much since my very first needle biopsy and then a full surgical excision from my neck (which resulted in my diagnosis as the needle biopsy was inconclusive).
The swelling has remained pretty static (maybe growing, but very slowly), but since a nasty cold last week, that pushed them into overdrive, they have become much more pronounced and pretty uncomfortable. I am now getting over the cold, but the lymph nodes don't seem to be shrinking accordingly. I had heard that this could happen, where lymphocytes flood to an area of infection, including the cancerous ones, then decide to stick around afterwards.
I have no B symptoms, my blood results were still pretty low last time I was checked, and I feel pretty good in myself (I took up regular cycling after my diagnosis and I'm now leaner and fitter than I've been since I was in my 20's - I am now 47!).
I just wanted to know if anyone out there has experienced any treatment for reducing the lymph node burden without going to full Chemo? I have read that steroids (prednisone?) have the ability to flush the bad cells out, but is it the case that they just flood back in after the treatment finishes? Maybe even flood back in larger quantities and cause more swelling?
I'm back to see my specialist mid April, and I'm so worried that I will be pushed to treatment just because of the lymph node swelling! At 47, I don't really want to use up one of my 'treatment bullets' so early on (although a part of me want's the treatment just to get a few years remission and get on with life - maybe with the hope that I'm one of the lucky few for which FCR provides a cure).