All in a bit a bit of shock just now. Found a lump in my left breast last week went to GP Monday and Thursday after a very long day at a one stop breast clinic was diagnosed with breast cancer.
However the due to professionals being on holidays was unable to get the results of my mammogram and no date yet for a biopsy as radiologist is also on holiday for two weeks . I did have a fine needle sample taken and it came back later that day as C5 confirmed cancer cells present . But after being told in the morning clinic the consultant suspected cancer we then had to wait . Went back to the afternoon clinic at an appointed time and waited three hours in the clinic to be seen with what the consultant described as only a bit of the jigsaw. two lumps in one breast after an initial ultrasound one lump 1.5cm and another in the same breast 3cm. He did say he could not feel any raised lumps under my arm at present . He has also said due to the size of the lumps I will need a MX .
I am very worried as I only had a mammogram last August and nothing was a miss so is this quick for these lumps to grow ?
I have also been told that it is possible we will need to wait two weeks before a biopsy can be booked in due to holidays and the mx may take some time to do as currently they seem to have a surge of patients needing breast surgery and consultants holidays .
My second question is has anyone paid privately for a biopsy and then got the results sent back to NHS in order to speed things up ? Did it cause problems with a crossover for just this one proceedure .
I live near Gatwick Airport and not even sure at present if private clinic near me would do this .
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Hi bonnie, sorry to read your waiting around, it appears to be part of the process. I paid privately for mammogram, then paid for biopsy and ultrasound the next day . I then went back into NHS system for results, however the private surgeon was also the NHS surgeon who dx cancer but I saw him at different hospital for dx and surgery.
i paid for tests as I could feel lump and appt for breast clinic was going to be over a month from referral ( I live in Wales), think guidelines for being seen a quicker in England.
all along though I was told by surgeon that my sense of urgency wasn’t his, even though grade 3 , size3.6cm and 4/25 lymph involved, . I’m still waiting for onc appt and therefore no idea when I start chemo, once again surgeon feels there’s time and has only referred me today after scan came back clear.
in hindsight would I have waited for biopsy, ultrasound, mammo with NHS? For me no I needed to know, I couldn’t do my job properly being so worried ( staff nurse, often in charge 29 bedded acute ward). I can’t advise if this would cause problems for you in your area just letting you know it worked for me.
hope it all works out for you whatever you decide, it’s the waiting that is so stressful, it does get better when your plan is in place.
this forum has been a lifeline for me it’s so much easier to share your feelings, up and down emotions with people who have and are going through this, so keep posting.
all the best it does get better ( never thought I’d hear myself say that after the weekend I’ve just had, another story)!
take care, thoughts are with you x
Thank you for replying Lois I now have a core biopsy this Friday on the NHS. Really pleased as I was expecting to have to wait a few weeks.
i did look into private but they too were very busy and it is the same ‘team’ . We seem to have a surge of people being diagnoised this summer here and it’s busier than normal they tell me.
Its interesting to read that you were told your sense of urgency was not your surgeons . its so hard when you want something done now and it’s out of our control.
I hope your week is going better than your weekend did .