Most neck lumps are benign. The most common causes include:
Less commonly, a neck lump may represent lymphoma, metastatic lymph node (secondary cancer), or a primary neck tumour. These require urgent investigation.
Any new neck lump that has not resolved within two to three weeks should be investigated. Seek urgent assessment if the lump:
NICE guideline NG12 advises GPs to consider an urgent suspected-cancer referral — an appointment within two weeks — for an unexplained lump in the neck in anyone aged 45 or over, and for persistent unexplained hoarseness. This page is general information and cannot replace an individual assessment by a clinician who can examine you.
A thyroid and neck ultrasound scan is the appropriate first-line investigation for any neck lump. It can characterise the lump — identifying whether it is a thyroid nodule, a lymph node, a cyst, or a soft tissue mass — and determine whether further investigation (biopsy or CT/MRI) is required.
A pattern we see regularly: a patient notices a neck lump, their GP examines it and says it is "probably a lymph node" and to return in four weeks if it has not gone. Four weeks later it is still there, and the GP refers for an NHS ultrasound — with a wait of 6–10 weeks. A private thyroid and neck ultrasound at Sonoworld provides a characterisation of the lump within 24–48 hours, either providing reassurance or identifying the need for urgent onward referral.
No. A neck ultrasound is painless and non-invasive. Your sonographer applies a little warm gel and moves a small probe over the neck while you lie back with your chin slightly raised. There are no needles, no radiation, and no injections. Most people find the scan straightforward, and it usually takes about 15 to 20 minutes.
Ultrasound can identify features that are suspicious — an irregular lymph node, loss of the normal fatty centre, or a thyroid nodule with microcalcifications — and will recommend a biopsy where appropriate. It cannot confirm or exclude cancer on its own, because only a tissue sample can do that. What the scan does is decide quickly whether a biopsy is needed, and how urgently.
No. You can book a thyroid and neck ultrasound directly with us, without a GP referral. If you already have a referral letter, bring it, because the clinical detail helps your sonographer focus the scan. If your GP has placed you on an urgent two-week-wait pathway, stay on that pathway as well as, not instead of, a private scan.
Your sonographer talks you through what they have seen immediately after the scan, before you leave. A formal written report follows within 24 hours and can be sent directly to your GP or consultant. The report includes clear next-step guidance: reassurance, GP follow-up, or an onward specialist referral where one is needed.
A thyroid and neck ultrasound scan at Sonoworld is £235. The price is all-inclusive: the scan itself, the consultant sonographer’s time, instant verbal results at the end of your appointment, and a written report within 24 hours. There are no separate reporting or booking fees.
Sonoworld is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Our sonographers are registered with HCPC and are members of BMUS. All scans are performed at our Marylebone clinic: 29 Weymouth Street, London W1G 7DB.
Same-day and next-day appointments available at our Marylebone clinic. Instant verbal results. Written report within 24 hours. No GP referral required.
Price: £235
Or call us on 020 3633 4902
