I had a biopsy 5th August, results on 12th August which confirmed cancer (at the initial consult, the Doctor was pretty positive it was cancer), I’m now waiting for MRI and CT scan results. I still don’t have a treatment plan and won’t get one until the end of the week. Is this delay normal?? I had breast cancer 13 years ago and the diagnosis was confirmed on the Thursday, the following week (less than a week), I was having chemotherapy. The delay is worrying me, particularly because the biopsy suggested that 2 lymph nodes were involved. How long is it taking people to get treatment plans? Thanks very much Lisa x
Studies have recently come out that confirmed that up to 90 days is okay to wait with breast cancer and in some cases is actually helpful because it allows all things to be looked at. I waited 40 days here in the United States for surgery after my diagnosis. So yeah some delay is pretty typical now with hormone positive tumors. You’ll sometimes see HER+ and triple negative going in more quickly. Anyway treatment has definitely changed in the last 13 years so don’t be too concerned. If they thought they needed to start with you earlier they would. Reads like you’re actually being looked at pretty quickly though already.
I am still waiting for my treatment plan. I had a biopsy on my right breast on 22nd July, had to wait until 5th August for results which confirmed it was cancer. I had a MRI on 8th August and saw surgeon on 12th expecting to get a treatment plan then but the MRI had shown an area of concern on my left breast. It didn’t show on mammogram or ultrasound so on Monday (22nd) I had a MRI guided biopsy. I now have to wait until 8th September for the results and treatment plan. I have been assured that this is all normal procedure and that the wait won’t be harmful. The surgeon would rather be sure of a complete diagnosis and treatment plan rather than rushing and risking over or under treating.
The waiting is the worst part but I am getting used to it. You don’t have too long to wait now until you get your treatment plan, I hope all goes well for you.
I am finding the waiting worrying too. I waited 5 weeks for a lumpectomy and sentinel.node biopsy following diagnosis then 3 weeks for results now waiting 5 weeks again for lymph node clearance as the sentinel node was positive. Then it will be a wait again for results before next stage is decided then 4/5 weeks to see oncologist then wait to start next stage. I do think there are longer delays now as I have had 3 friends with breast cancer pre covid days and they waited approx 2 weeks for surgeries and results 1 - 2 weeks etc. Are others finding the waits concerning? (Besides the awful mental anguish caused by the not knowing things for so long). Sending good wishes to all Bookie x
Yes the waiting and uncertainty are hard at the moment. I was diagnosed on 9 Sept , had CT and bone scans as lymph nodes are positive. Saw my surgeon yesterday but have to have chemo first and more scans to check out concerns from CT.
I see the oncologist on Thursday so hopefully will get a start date for treatment. The wait for treatment plans and test results are so difficult when you just want to get started.
Waiting feels interminable but this is the time when you can work on your resilience, find out what helps you relax mentally and physically, what helps you switch off the anxious thoughts etc because resilience is the key to getting through all this.
Although I had surgery pretty quickly after diagnosis (4 weeks during which time I got 5 different diagnoses), this was because I’d opted to go private, on the assumption treatment would be quicker and better. After that I had a very long wait while I was transferred to the NHS and had to have my first chemo on Christmas Eve, to squeeze me in on day 89 of the 90 day window NICE dictates.
If your cancer were triple negative or had one of the rarer forms of breast cancer, you’d be straight onto chemotherapy but, apart from that, it’s a misconception that our cancer cells are running rampant around our bodies. Most cancers are slow acting. Also, if nodes are involved, that can be a good thing - it shows they are doing their job of catching those rogue cells and preventing them from spreading elsewhere in the body. The important thing is that your hospital must have all the relevant data as each cancer is unique, as is each patient. They need to make sure your first treatment is the right treatment and they also need to ensure you aren’t subjected to unnecessary interventions. I have Stage 4 bc and my biopsy has travelled the UK, even visited the USA, in order to be screened for various mutations and esoteric proteins which actually can make all the difference in determining what treatments may or may not suit you.
The waiting lists for scans are awful since lockdown and hospitals are hit by summer leave as well as staff shortages. I read that the UK is 2000 short of radiologists as they buckle and flee under the sheer pressure of the work! But 6 weeks IS a relatively long wait. Have you rung to ask your breast care nurse what’s happening? I would suggest that after this long wait, now is the time to be proactive and push for information.
Wishing you all the best for a straightforward treatment,