I have been referred to the Breast Clinic by my GP for a lump in my armpit. From what I am reasing here I am to expect a mammogram and an ultrasound…
my question…from them doing those two tests will i get an answer there and then? I don’t mean what stage or anything like that…but if they ‘suspect’ something is untoward, will they tell me then?
AM i likely to have further tests whilst I am there also should they suspect anything?
SO many questions swimming around. Finding it hard that I have 13 days until this appointment and don’t think I could bear a wait for results too.
Hi Pookierara
I waited two weeks from doctors appointment until my breast clinic appointment. It is the hardest time. We call it the ’ waiting’ room.
I had a mammo and ultrasound from which they took 4 biopsies. I asked theradiologist outright if he thought it was cancer. He said because I had asked he had to be honest with me and to prepare myself for the worst. So if it gets to that stage and you want to know, ask. You will have to ‘wait’ for definate results though.
Just be comforted that most lumps are benign and our bodies are changing all the time. Try and not google you you will discover you have things appearing that were never there before!! It will send you loopy.
Good luck with your appointment and let us know how it goes.
Emma xx
Thank you Emma for your reply. You’re right about the 2 week wait thing…it is feeling like forever waiting for my appointment.
I am pleased that I will be getting ‘some’ feedback whilst I am there, I would hate to come away and find myself in the ‘waiting room’ again.
I have stayed away from Google as would probably write myself off after seeing things on there.
Hi,
in my area , we are lucky, we have a one stop clinic, when referred you have what ever test is required on the day so for me, it was mammo, ultrasound, bioppsy and by 6 pm, the consultant had her results and told me it was a cancer, just needed biopsy for confirmation of type and of course what treatment to offer, I was also informed that it would probably be a mastectomylooking at the mammo.
It was handled very well, by all I was already 99.9 % sure it was acancer but it still shocked, but as I say everyone involved carried me along. Im 4 years on now back at work, and hate to say this but feel fitter than ever, but dont forget, you have a greater % of your little visitor being a non cancerous growth, than it being a nasty.
I did work in cancer services and you can phone them to see if they can get you in quicker , or to let you know if anyone declines an opd , so you can go up the list, it does happen, they are very good as they all realise what a hellish time it is in the waiting room.
I had a similar experience to truffle shuffle i.e. a “one-stop shop” so I was told on the day of my diagnosis and the fact I’d have to have mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Also all handled very well. Looking back I was so glad I’d taken someone with me. I had a further appointment 2 days later by which time the detailed biopsy results were in and I was then told type, grade, etc.
Hi, I had to wait one week for my results, but while she was scanning and performing the biopsy, she saw a node she didn’t like the look of. As soon as she said the word ‘node’, I knew I had cancer - and I was right. Still had to wait one week to be told officially though!!!
I had a mammogram and ultrasound after which I was told the lump they could see was “suspicious”. I was shown the screen picture of the mammogram. I was told the approximate size of the tumour and that is was cancerous, and they then did a biopsy on the tumour. I had to wait a week for the biopsy results, which confirmed the grade and type.
If no-one says anything to you, then please ask for their opinions. You have a right to know. xxx
(PS. Make sure you take someone with you to the assessment)
Thanks for all the replies. I wasn’t going to take anyone with me as parents are at work and hubby will have to stay home for the children. Maybe I will rethink this.
Like many of you have mentioned, I am not looking for what stage of cancer (if any) it is on the day at the Clinic, just more a of yes we think it could be or no we doubt it. I don;t think I could bear coming away still knowing nothing. I will ask lots of questions and watch their face when examing me for any clues.
I didn’t have anybody with me when I went for my mammogram and ultrasound. I was absolutely positive it was just another cyst!
I was watching the screen when the radiographer got to where the problem was, and I said, that’s the lump I feel. It wasn’t really a question but she simply said yes, that’s the lump. It was only when she said she would go and consult with " the doctor", that I realised it likely was not just a cyst.
The radiologist came and told me they would need to take a biopsy, and they could do it straight away, and told me the procedure, then asked if I had any questions.
Of course I had a hundred questions, but I didn’t expect that there would be any answers until the biopsy results were in, so I said “no”. Looking back, I don’t know if they thought that was strange! I just felt it didn’t really matter what they “thought” it was. It was obviously something they needed to biopsy, ie suspicious of cancer, so I didn’t think I could put them on the spot by asking!
It seems odd now, even to me. I guess the whole thing was a bit surreal. Afterwards I went and sat in my car for a bit before driving home, feeling a bit shaken, when out of the blue my brother Facebooked me saying " are you ok?"…(I think I’d put my status as “mammogram! Ouchy!!” just before I went in for the ultrasound)… And I said “I just had a breast biopsy, but don’t tell anybody until we know what it is!” Maybe I was still somewhat in denial.
I got my results about a week later at my GPs, and I took hubby with me, but I was still more than half expecting it to be nothing to worry about.
I had a recall from routine mammo and had another mam and ultrasound. A doctor came in to take biopsies and I ended up telling her I had a job interview 3 days later and should I bother going. She replied I wouldn’t get my results for 4 days so could go to interview being unaware. I must have rambled on a bit more as she asked if I wanted to know what she thought . She felt that the tumours looked suspicious and it would most probably be cancer. She was very kind and told me as gently as she could. This also helped when I went back to see the breast surgeon 4 days later as I knew what he was going to say. I took my oh with me to recall appt, tho originally I was going on my own and my cousin suggested hubby went too. I’m so pleased I had him there but it was hard coming out of ultra sound room to tell him. A breast care nurse also talked to us both after the biopsies, so it was preety conclusive. It turned out that my 3 tumours were one large 80 mm tumour! To this day, although I thought I could feel something, I’m surprised it wasn’t poking me in the eye!
Hopefully you will get some feedback on the day. All the very best to you
Gaynor xx
definitely take someone with you. I insisted my fiance went work on the day of my first appointment and knew as soon as the nurse asked if I had someone with me it was bad news. Thinking about it now, I really do not know how I drove home, can’ recall the journey at all.
Good luck with your appointment, I hope you come out smiling.
You need someone with you, I am a strong woman but fell apart when they confirmed it was cancer. Also I was not able to ask the questions my mother in law did with her practical lets deal with this approach. She cried later I am sure but was strong for me. Even though you are expecting them to say its cancer it’s still a shock. Don’t be on your own, chance you will have to drive home and can’t do that when your crying x
Hi,
When I went I had a mammogram, ultrasound and a biopsy, I felt then that it was definitely cancer, and was pretty sure when they asked me to wait to see the doctor and brought me a cup of tea - nobody else in the waiting area had a cup of tea!
As I understand it, from the tests on the day, you can be in one of five categoties - until further confirmation:
Almost definitely cancer
Probably cancer
Might be cancer
Probably not cancer
Almost definitely not cancer
Waiting is horrible - I wish you the best of luck.
I took my cousin with me as she had been through it all for ten years she has now only got to go back for checka up every three years so she was a great person to take as I am on my own so two ears are better than one as you can’t take it all in yourself your mind just can’t cope with it I love her to bits she is always there for me and phones me every day to check if I am ok she tells me she dosen’t mind if I get grumpy or shout at her as she has been there and knows how it feels she said you will have your up and downs but at the end you will get better what a lady to have by your side
Having gone through this a couple of times I think you’ll get a pretty good idea of what the likely diagnosis is on the day. You can tell a lot by the demeanour of the person doing the ultrasound. They know what they’re looking at and will give you their opinion on the likelihood of the lump being cancer by looking. I was told on the day that on a scale of 1-5 of suspiciousness I was a 4. I had a biposy done but there were too many blood cells to give me a def result on that day. I went away pretty sure I had cancer. A week later I got further results which were still not conclusive-only pre cancerous cells found-but the presence of epithelial cells in a node was highly suggestive of cancer. A week later this was confirmed. I had no one with me on the first day. It would’ve been better if I’d taken someone along for support.
The one thing that gets me is having to go back every week for results of tests I think that is what wears you out most keep having to go back to the hospital its great when you have a few days off I am still having to go there again next week to see consultant and give him an answer to a question he asked me so another trip I was feeling quite strong but with all this back and forth it is wearing me out I feel I just want to sit and relax for a while
Thank you so much for all of your replies and advice.
My appointment is this Tuesday.
I have asked my Mam to come with me. As much as I love hubby I just want my Mam. Don’t know why, just want that mother daughter bond thing and have her there holding my hand.
Getting more nervous now as the day approaches, trying to keep positive.
it is best to take someone with you, my gp had told me when I went that he was highly suspicious that it was cancer and this was confirmed at the BCC at my first appointment, the consult said he was 99% that it was cancer, but the biopsy’s would tell them the type etc. My sister and friend came with me and even thou, I went into the clinic prepared to be told I had cancer, I don’t think I could have managed that first appointment without support, also they can listen and remember info while your mind is dealing with the news