Lump on the neck? should i be worried?

My boyfriend woke up this morning with a huge lump on his neck like the size of a ping pong ball... or larger....diameter wise, but anyways its really hard and only the tissue around it hurts according to him. its sort of close to his lymph nodes, im really freaked out by it. He hasn't gone to the doters in like 15 years not even exaggerating, i know he will go to check this out but still im so worried about it. what do you guys think just something benign?