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:
The NICE guideline NG12 recommends an urgent two-week-wait referral for any unexplained neck lump in a patient over 45 who smokes or drinks alcohol.
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. The scan is entirely painless.
Ultrasound can identify features that are suspicious for malignancy — such as irregular lymph node architecture, loss of the fatty hilum, or a thyroid nodule with microcalcifications — and will recommend biopsy where appropriate. It cannot definitively diagnose cancer without tissue sampling.
No. You can book directly at Sonoworld.
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 7486 1991
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