Topcat - Each time I had something done (biopsy, MRI, etc), I had to wait about two weeks for my results. They have a results’ clinic on a Thursday at my hospital and so I had to wait for that. You can phone your Breast Care Nurse and ask if she can tell you them first.
Rose - I chased the pathology report again. The secretary was under the impression that I was waiting for a letter from the surgeon, which contains a potted version. I explained that I wanted the actual report. Oh yes, they can just print that off! Back to square one. She will send me a copy. Maybe, I shall get it in time for Christmas, with the postal strikes. Couldn’t she e-mail it? I still haven’t got a date for radiotherapy. How are you, by the way?
Hi topcat
How long since is it that you went for biopsy?? Some hospitals tell you more or less straight away.
I went through the same wait in the summer (luckily my GP’s receptionists are lovely! I was ringing them every other day and doc said it’s ridiculous having to wait!) my results for the core biopsy took 3 week to come through and i’ve had no follow up appointment! I had a shooting pain which made me check my breast and i found a lump, since the results this lump has increased in size 2 more next to it and painkillers every 4 hours for the pain. And i’m off for new tests on saturday(saw the new consultant last week)
Tell your family how you are feeling it may help them understand you at the moment! tearful, anger and frustration all springs to mind with me!
Take care and fingers crossed all is ok
Tina xxx
Glad you are finaly getting somewhere with your report, please let me know if you manage to find out anything new when you do get it.
I am going back in for more surgery on Tuesday, I think I must be one of the first of the morning as I have to arrive by 7.30am! The first surgery I had was wire guided, so had to attend for the two wires at 8.30am, then had to wait untill 3.00pm for opp, and this was brought forward as I was orignaly down to be the last! So hopefully Tuesday will be a better experance. I’ll let you know.
It all seems to be taking a long time now, I had a letter from the hospital this morning telling me my appointment to see the oncologist is on Nov 24th so, wont know about treatment till then. But the BCN did say that the oncologist had seen the report from the first lot of surgery and was going to recomend chemo, so at least I’m not wondering about that.
Is there normaly a delay for radiotherapy, or does it depend where you live in the country? I was told that I would have to go to Cheltnem for mine.
I still don’t have definite dates for radiotherapy, but today they said I am very provisionally booked to start on 15th December, and will keep having breaks over Christmas and New Year. It will be 12 weeks after my surgery and I find that extremely worrying. The NICE guidelines are for 4 weeks, ideally.
I am sure it varies in different parts of the country. The hospital said they are extremely busy at present. What is annoying is that I was told there is a local BUPA hospital which could do it sooner. Wouldn’t it be nice if the NHS would pay to use their facilities when they cannot cope?
Has anyone else had to wait that long, for no reason other than the NHS waiting list?
Rose, chemo will definitely be recommended to you because your tumour is grade 3, and because you’re HER2+ you have to have chemo in order to have herceptin. My tumour was 11mm, grade 3, oestrogen postive, HER2-, no lymph node involvement or vascular invasion, and chemo was strongly advised. Your surgeon or oncologist will be able to tell you how much difference chemo will make to your 10 year survival (for me it was about 6%). There is a website called ‘adjuvant online’ which the doctors use to get this info.; you can access it too and plug the data in yourself (even though it’s supposed to only be used by health professionals). Although we’re at lower risk of the cancer spreading because of no lymph node involvement, there is still a risk (I think about 25%). Good luck with your surgery on Tuesday.
Topcat, I waited 12 days to get the results of my biopsy back. It differs between trusts. Chase it up if you’re worried.
I am thinking of ringing my BCN to ask her to ask my surgeon whether he has concerns about me having to wait at least 12 weeks for rads from the time of my surgery.
If so, I would like to know how much it would be to have it done privately. Does anyone know? My life is precious, even if the NHS purseholders don’t think so!
When I used adjutant on line a while ago , it just asked if I was a health professional, so I said yes!
There was no waiting list for rads at all at Ipswich hospital but mine were delayed because I had post-surgery problems and my wound wouldn’t heal. I had my WLE on Jan 9th 2008 and rads began on March 11th, so sooner than yours but still double the 4-week ‘target’. Delays aren’t at all unusual apparently and my consultant wasn’t concerned at all, even though my lump only had 1mm clearance on one side because it was close to the chest wall. My son, who is a radiotherapist, wasn’t concerned either. He proferred the information that in most cases rads are not a big deal in the treatment of primary breast cancer - it’s a good excision that’s all-important. Rads mop up cells that might have been dispersed by the surgeon’s knife, and a few weeks isn’t going to make any difference in seeing them off!
I’m sure it’s possible to have private treatment, but presumably you would have to have the whole lot done privately. I have 2 friends whose experience of mixing private and NHS breast cancer treatment isn’t great, as there seems to be no system of communication between the two, even when it’s the same consultant!
Good luck with your treatment, whatever you decide. I would certainly have a discussion with your consultant if you’re worried about the wait.
Thanks, highball. I have my planning appointment tomorrow. I posted an update on another thread saying that I did look into private radiotherapy (at a hospital where the same oncologist also works, apparently) and it would have been over £8,000. Two oncologists and my GP thought that the wait wouldn’t make any difference in my case, even though it will be 11 weeks since surgery. I managed to get it brought forward one week, as I should have seen the oncologist at the result’s clinic but, as she wasn’t available, I wasn’t put on the waiting list until a couple of weeks later. So, provisionally, I am due to start on 8th Dec, spanning Christmas and New Year.
I am encouraged by your son’s opinion, but it is worrying all the same.