No such thing as a stupid question... cyst on wrist?

[LoneNutTheorist]

Hi All,
I appear to have a small lump about 1 inch from my wrist on the back of my forearm. It looks like it might be a small ganglion cyst (it's about the size of a BB).

I haven't found any mentions of TC spreading to the wrist -- and my CAT, XRAY and PET Scans all came back clean about 3 months ago. What's the chance that this lump can be TC? I'm thinking it would be odd to have no signs of spread anywhere else... Thanks...

[Scott]

I can't imagine any possible connection. That said, a Google search did turn up this article, which I wouldn't have expected. "A peculiar case of growing mature teratoma on the forearm is described." Of course you had seminoma. I think the odds are incredibly low.

[dadmo]

tc can spread to the bone in much later stages but I would be shocked if there was any connection between the lump on your wrist and you successful battle with tc. I certainly understand you concern, my son just noticed a bump on his head, it's really tiny but as with you he worries about a connection (me too actually). I will tell you what I told him it isn't tc but mention it to you doctor at your next visit, which for him is in 10 days.

[LoneNutTheorist]

This definitely isn't connected to any bone -- it kind of moves around. I will probably go to a dermatologist and see what they recommend. I also have a small bump on my head, but i think that this is hereditary -- my mother had to have a small bump removed because it became too painful.

[dadmo]

I bet your first guess (ganglion cyst) is right.

[matthias]

"To a man with only a hammer, everything looks like a nail!"

Hi All,
I appear to have a small lump about 1 inch from my wrist on the back of my forearm. It looks like it might be a small ganglion cyst (it's about the size of a BB).

I haven't found any mentions of TC spreading to the wrist -- and my CAT, XRAY and PET Scans all came back clean about 3 months ago. What's the chance that this lump can be TC? I'm thinking it would be odd to have no signs of spread anywhere else... Thanks...

[LoneNutTheorist]

To a guy who had testicular cancer, everything looks like a tumor.


Went to a dermatologist today. She said "I'm 99% certain that this is some kind of cyst, but based on your health history I recommend that you see a surgeon and have it removed and biopsied.

It seems like if you had cancer, no doctor wants to say anything with 100% certainty. I even considered "bible therapy" (give it a whack with a bible).

So anyway, I'm off to find a surgeon to remove this lump. It seems to be about the same size as it was when I discovered it. It's still below the size of a pea.

You'd think that if I had seminoma in my wrist that something would have shown up on my recent cat scan, xray AND PET Scan, no? I had my whole abdomen pet scanned because of what turned out to be a cyst on my liver.

bah.

"To a man with only a hammer, everything looks like a nail!"

[LoneNutTheorist]

I'm kind of sitting on the fence with this. I've not heard of a single case of seminoma bypassing the abdominal lymph nodes or lungs and showing up on someone's wrist (but I'd sure hate to be the first ). The lump appears to have remained the same size.

My checkup is coming up next month. Am I nuts if I just wait until then and ask my oncologist what he thinks?

[Karen]

LNT,
It really sounds like just a cyst...but you have been concerned over this for 6 weeks or so and waiting another 4 isn't worth it, in my humble opinion. I'd call the onc or dermatologist and get it biopsied/removed soon. I'm not at all thinking it's a metastesis but why even worry about that?

[dadmo]

I agree with Karen. I would be shocked if it were related to tc but it's had you worried for over a month.

[AdrianB1971]

I discovered a small lump on my lower back [10 cm right from spine] The lump is right under the skin. CAT clear. No connection between lump and TC. Maybe is a lipom or something like that.
Stay calm pls !!!

[LoneNutTheorist]

I made an appointment with a surgeon! The irony is that the appointment is 2 weeks away so by the time I'm ready to have it removed, my checkup will be right around the corner.

Thanks all! My general doc asked if it bothered me and I said "it only bothers me that it's there" -- otherwise it's not hurtning or anything and appears to have not grown. i'll probably end up with a bigger scar than the bump would have been. But at least I'll know its a scar.

[LoneNutTheorist]

Finally, my appointment with the surgeon tomorrow -- that's if it doesn't snow and they close.

I have exhausted my search on google. Looks like this is probably some benign lump. I see no situations where something like this happened and the abdomen and lungs were clean. Also, I had a pet scan about 5 months ago.

Hopefully my next post will be a positive one!

[dadmo]

I'm sure you're going to be fine. After haveing cancer the anxiety is understandable.

[LoneNutTheorist]

Just got back from the hand surgeon. He doesn't believe it is a cyst, but is pretty sure it's some kind of benign tumor. He said that most mets to the arm would hit the hand -- primarily the index finger first -- based on blood flow.

So gonna go for minor surgery, hopefully this week, and have it removed.