I had a lumpectomy on 15th January for a 22mm Grade 3 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma of the right breast. There were no complications and all seems to be healing well.
I was hoping to go back this week for my results on staging and perhaps to receive final information even on grade and nature of my cancer, whether it has spread and most importantly, whether they have achieved clear margins during surgery, or whether I will need further surgery?
The one and only sentinel node they tested while I was under a general anaesthetic was apparently clear. The surgeon I believe wanted to have more nodes tested at the time to be sure but the testing laboratory on the day of my lumpectomy for some reason was unable to test more than one node. I am not entirely confident that I have no lymph node involvement based on one lymph node tested and I will need reassurance when I return to clinic.
My results should have been discussed in a management meeting last Thursday but perhaps this didn’t happen. When I had a wound check two weeks ago, I was told that my lumpectomy results had apparently been sent to another hospital, I don’t know why, so perhaps there has been a delay in testing?
I tried contacting my breast care team last Friday and again yesterday to ask when I would be invited back to the clinic to receive my results, but I am getting no response which is so unlike them and this is making me nervous. I just need to know what is going on to put my mind at ease. I know I could just ring and ring, but that is not my style. I have now left three messages since last Friday and I can do no more.
May I ask how long you waited to receive your lumpectomy results? Perhaps I need to expect to wait longer than three weeks to receive my results? Thank you
So pleased you are healing well after your surgery, however I feel if you are concerned about anything it’s best to speak with your breast cancer nurse, who should have all your notes to hand. Please don’t feel your being nuisance because you’re not.
I think everyone is waiting a little longer for results at the moment, let’s hope you get some reassurance very soon.
Wishing you well going forward. Please let’s us know how your getting on.
Hello. I had double mastectomy and SLNB and waited five weeks for results, some patients in the hospital I work at are waiting six.
Think it probably depends on how busy they are - and everywhere seems mega busy.
Thank you Tili. My imagination is running away with me. It is so unlike my team not to respond quickly. I have got used to it. No doubt I will hear when they are ready to give me my results and they know how best to proceed.
Southwest, thank you. I am now thinking I got this so wrong and have just been assuming all along I would get my results within two to three weeks. I will be patient for a little while longer.
Lynn, thank you for your response. I can see I may have a little way to go yet before I receive my results. It is reassuring to know that this could be a normal waiting period. I will stop imagining the worst
Mine was 16 days, it would of been 14 but last Easter weekend was in between. It could well be longer for you, as by the sound of it they could of sent it off for genomic tests. Also, Ive heard that in some areas the Her2 test can take longer to come back.
They were quite good with telling me at my biopsy results meeting what day my surgery and results meeting would be - the day after the MDT about treatment. Might be worth giving them a ring just to check.
Hi. I had my lumpectomy on 29 January and my follow up is end of February, so 4 weeks. I was concerned at first that this was with a different surgeon, but I think that the treatment professionals work as teams and mine work across two hospitals in the Bristol/Weston trust. It’s so hard being patient, but I am really grateful for the way in which breast cancer is treated as urgently as can be once the mammogram is done.
Hi @angelina I had tests done on 18th December and results still aren’t back.
I do know there are currently delays nationwide, so please don’t let this panic you x
Hi, I hope you are doing well. On discharge after lumpectomy, I was given appointment for results 3 weeks later. I am glad my appointment was late in the afternoon, as the only discussed my results that morning. It might have got cancelled.
Best wishes x
@poorlyboob@leelee1@greentulip@entropy@chillout365@lynnc123@southwest123@Tili. Thank you all for your support. I have just heard and have been called back to see the breast surgeon next Tuesday, 11th February at 1020 hours. I tried to rearrange the date but was firmly told no, that I had to be seen, so I had to cancel another urgent appointment. Now I will probably worry about what they might have found. I will update this thread on Tuesday. I hope he just has good news for me
I had lumpectomy at Bristol last year - similar situation - different surgeon on the day - follow up and results was with the surgeon who was originally scheduled, almost exactly 1 month after. The consultant who stood in to do the surgery was also in the clinic the day I went back for the follow up. I think they have to cover for each other to avoid cancelling/ wasting booked operating theatre slots, so I was impressed they were able to switch staff around. Seems to work well in Bristol.
Southwest, I have been trying to contact the consultant BCN for days without success (both by email and by phone).
Everyone kept phoning me when I was first diagnosed (10th December), then suddenly after my lumpectomy (15th January) things changed. It all went quiet and I began to wonder why? Then suddenly I get a call to say that the consultant wants to see me urgently. I found myself wondering what had happened, why I wasn’t contacted earlier by my breast cancer nurse. I have started wondering whether my results are worse than expected, perhaps they didn’t get the clear margins they were hoping for and are concerned that I will need more surgery. So many questions going around in my head and unable to speak to our lovely breast cancer nurses.
I am trying not to overthink but it is hard. The breast cancer nurses have not returned my calls or emails and I find that very strange.
Thank you pinky. I can see that a four week wait for results is quite normal. I was told my breast cancer team were only operating on Wednesdays. I saw a different consultant before meeting the lead consultant on the day my cancer was diagnosed. The lead consultant was in theatre doing my lumpectomy.
Take care of yourself till Tues and definitely try not to overthink it! So far my experience of it all has been that the medical side has been brilliant but the admin has been ropey to say the least - so it could be as simple as Tuesday morning is just when they do all the results consults (the couple of times I’ve attempted to negotiate appointments I’ve been told the next available is same day a week later so they do seem to have set days…)
What a shame you haven’t been able to get hold of your BCN though, this is supposed to be the exact thing they’re there for. If you haven’t heard back from your messages by the time you go in on Tues it might be worth following up to check you have been given the right details (the card my BCN gave me had an email address that bounced and a phone that went dead so I did have to poke a bit to get valid contacts )
Yes it is a mystery no response from my trusted and caring nurses. It does seem as though there might be a problem somewhere, so I will check those contact details. Thank you for that advice.
I suppose it would be all too easy to think it is because everyone is avoiding me because of bad news, although I respect that they will want me to hear any news from my doctors first
)