My husband was just diagnosed with a parotid tumor.  CT scan showed ill-defined edges and enlarged cervical lymph nodes.  He has had a lump for a couple of years but it has really grown in size in the past two months.  Lately he has been very fatigued and sleeping alot.  Im trying not to worry because we wont know if benign or malignant until after it is removed but I cant help it.  Are there tumors that are benign that have the same characteristics?
Tumors that rapidly increase in size over a short period of time with associated enlarged cervical lymph nodes are usually malignant. If a patient had presented with these features in my clinic, I would have advised a FNAC of parotid swelling and an MRI scan. FNAC (fine needle aspiration cytology) of parotid swelling will give a diagnosis if malignant cells are seen. MRI scan would give better tissue contrast and involvement of deeper lobe or facial nerve (which traverses through parotid gland). I hope it helps. Please discuss it with your doctor.