I was told I had breast cancer on 30th December without biopsy results. I was told a tumor was found measuring 3-3.5cm is size and that the type of cancer would be advised once the biopsy results were available. An appointment was made for me to discuss this on the 19th January. The results were available by the 6th January as confirmed by the medical secretary but my appoinment remained on the 19th January. At my appointment the consultant ‘broke’ the news to me and my husband that I had breast cancer like it was new news-it was not as I had been told on the 30th December by anothet consultant and had advised family and friends and living with this fact for over 2 weeks now. The consultant advised I couldn’t of known without the biopsy results I assured him, as did my husband that we were definatly told this on the 30th December. The letter confirming my diagnosis from the meeting on the 19th January stated that ‘the news was ‘broken’ to me and I took it well’ this was because I already had been told. I was then told that I needed an MRI which can take up to 2 weeks to get an appointment, luckily i waited a week. I have now been told I have to wait up to 3 weeks for 2 consultants to look at my MRI and decide next steps which could be more biopsies. I feel this is a long time and when I questioned the time frames and asked what if the tumor grew bigger or went in to lymph I was told that would be unfortunate but there are many women waiting for treatment like you. I am a month in and will have to wait another 1-2 weeks before I even know what next steps are, let alone a treatment plan. Is this normal? or am I worrying unnessasarily? I know where you live and your diagnosis can make a difference but to me and to some friends who have had breast cancer it seems very slow progress and I’m worried they will use tha date of the 19th January as my formal diagnosis day rather than the 30th December when I was actually told to measure time frames for treatment and consults.
Hi @luluparki
I’m sorry you have to be here, but welcome!
Lots of people are told they have breast cancer at the initial clinic (lots aren’t too, I wasn’t), but my understanding is that until the biopsy has confirmed this it is not definite so I imagine they would use the later date, but may of course be wrong. It’s so difficult waiting for further tests and plans so I can understand why you are worried about timescales, I know I was stressed about that too when there were delays for me. I even made a thing of it with the hospital and was told very clearly they are guidelines and targets, not absolutes.
I know it’s difficult, but please try to hold onto the fact your team are making sure they have all the information they need to create the right treatment plan for you. Due to further tests and so on I ended up being seven weeks from diagnosis to surgery. It wasn’t pleasant, and felt like an eternity at the time, but looking back I can now recognise it was a relatively small period of my life which meant I had the right treatment and best possible outcomes for my individual circumstances.
I hope you get your treatment plan soon so you know what is happening and when. x
Hi @luluparki I’m so sorry for your experience so far. What a shock to the system! Sending you lots of love and hugs 
Unfortunately those time frames sound very familiar.
I waited 3 weeks for my biopsies to come back and confirm that I had breast cancer but they didn’t know what type yet or what treatment I would need. I then waited 1 week for my MRI and then 1 week after to get those results.
I was told the type of breast cancer I had which meant a rough treatment plan would be surgery/chemo/radio/hormone therapy. But before they could make any decisions they had to biopsy a new lump they found on the MRI which meant another 3 weeks wait for those results. I then waited 1 more week to discuss this with my surgeon and then I had to wait 2 weeks for my lumpectomy surgery.
After that I waited 6 weeks over Christmas for my results.
I now have to wait another 2 weeks for more results and another surgery.
So a total of about 16 weeks so far.
It’s an absolute rollercoaster and a waiting game im afraid and different cancers have different speeds at which they need to act. My cancer was diagnosed as HER2 negative which means surgery before chemo. HER2 positive will mean Chemo before surgery.
I am still no closer to knowing what actual treatment other than surgery I will need.
And as frustrating and awful as it is, they really are extremely thorough. The treatment plans nowdays are so personalised to each person and their own individual brand of cancer. I do believe this is to our benefit. Once they know exactly what you have they know how to treat you. It’s awful though. I spent my time taking action, eating the best I could (if research said it could help beat cancer you can bet I ate it haha) I moved as much as I could with lots of walking, watched lots of tv series and tonnes of reading. I learned to play yatzee and I get through lots of sudoku puzzles. I started therapy which has been really, really helpful. On top of everything I am still a wife, a monther, a daughter. I found my new normal. But it’s not forever, its just for now. X
@luluparki I read this and was Yes! I think we have all felt this on the rollercoaster that is diagnosis and treatment. I was advised of my biopsy results and cancer on 23rd October (my birthday - JOY) after an initial mammogram in September and a recall plus biopsies on 9th October, then MRI 4th Nov, which showed shadows in breast and a suspicious lymph node, more biopsies scheduled for 30th Nov by that time the shadows had gone so no biopsies done but had missed my initial operation date, therapeutic mammoplasty 16th Dec, results 15th Jan - not got clear margins, Grade 3 not 2 in one of my two lumps on the same duct (DCIS) and a lymph node involved. More surgery to clear margins 26th Jan and now waiting to be discharged from surgery and an oncologist referral for chemo. To date 17 weeks and one day….i don’t even think I have begun this adventure proper with chemo in the offing and writing it down makes me realise just how much has already happened. I have to keep trusting the medicine and their knowledge of how best to treat me and my cancer but the waiting game is hell on the mental health and nervous system. Big hugs.
Thank you for your response. I feel a bit more reassured re timings now.x
Thank you xx