Can I wait to have this lump checked out?

February 2, 2009 6:52 PM

Found a distinct lump, and suspect it might be a hemorrhoid. I'm worried, though, that it could be something much worse. Can I wait for my next appointment with my doctor in two weeks or is this something I should have examined right away? If, for example, it was a tumour, would two weeks make a difference?
posted by pantheON to Health & Fitness (11 answers total)

Why not call and explain the situation, ask for a quicker appointment on an emergency basis. You'll feel better, the doc won't mind, and hopefully it's not a big thing.
posted by beagle at 7:00 PM on February 2, 2009

I bet you money it's what you suspect. They can grow big, stop sitting down so much and change your diet.
posted by parmanparman at 7:09 PM on February 2, 2009

IANAD, but 2 weeks is usually not going to make a difference. A lot of people who are actually diagnosed with cancer have to wait that long even to have more tests done before starting their treatment. Again, IANAD, and by all means contact your doctor's office to let them know the situation to see if you can get in sooner. I'm sure it's uncomfortable anyway, so you might as well try to get it looked at sooner, even if it is almost certainly benign.
posted by fructose at 7:16 PM on February 2, 2009 [1 favorite]

two weeks is fine
posted by caddis at 7:22 PM on February 2, 2009

If you are going to be worried for two weeks, it is best for your piece of mind to just try and get it checked out sooner rather than later. What is the worst that could happen if you get it checked now?
posted by tumples at 7:47 PM on February 2, 2009

You're in your late twenties or so right? If it makes you feel better, the median age for diagnosis of colon cancer is, I believe, over 70. Yes, over 70. Less than 1% of colon cancer cases occur in people under 35, and those are skewed towards people at the higher end of that range (30-34). If you're not quite 30 the odds of you having colon cancer are vanishingly small.

That said, "very, very small" is not the same as "none" so if you're really freaking out there's no harm in asking if you can come in earlier.
posted by Justinian at 7:55 PM on February 2, 2009

It's a little unclear from the post the exact nature of the lump. Is it protruding to the outside? If so, if you put prep H on it and it softens up, it's not a tumor, and don't worry about it. Just do less sitting, keep hydrated, eat more fiber, don't strain on the toilet, etc.

If it's something further "up the chain" as it were, then I'm out of my element on that one, and it'd be best to ask a doc.
posted by wastelands at 2:30 AM on February 3, 2009

Response by poster: I saw my doctor today and he was quick to reassure me that it was a simple hemerhhoid. Thanks for the support.
posted by pantheON at 9:51 AM on February 3, 2009

Two weeks is fine. By the way, colon cancer isn't the same thing as anal cancer, which is far more rare and demographically skewed toward women in their 60s.

However, if you're still worried about "the Big C" and want a little preventative care, you could always do what I did and volunteer as a "healthy normal" at a University research study and get paid a couple of hundred dollars to have a colonoscopy.

It turns out they found and removed a small, non-cancerous polyp. Maybe it would have been a problem when I hit 70, but it sure feels nice to know I got it early. It also gave me the little boost I needed to cut out red meat entirely and take fiber every day like I knew I should.
posted by aquafortis at 6:47 PM on February 3, 2009

Whoops, I meant to send this last night, but it only went today. Glad to hear you're fine!
posted by aquafortis at 6:48 PM on February 3, 2009

i read recently those lumps/bumps potentially are tiny blood clots, especially if you have hemorrhoids already.
posted by kuppajava at 11:42 AM on February 4, 2009