Positive biopsy but doc said he didn't know what kind of ca

nonetheless

I had micro calcifications show up on routine mammogram so I went through more mammograms that confirmed it was a suspicious cluster. Had the stereotactic biopsy and my primary doc called me in to tell me that it was positive but said the results didn't indicate the particular flavor of ca. I had already done enough research to believe that the biopsy would indicate what cancer it was but the doc said no and all that he saw was that it was positive for bc. I tend to think he just didn't want to or didn't think it was his place to tell me the type. I have a surgical consult in 3 days so I'm sure I'll find out more at that appt but it would have been good to have the type ahead of that consult so I could be more prepared with questions. Oh well!

But I posted to see if this was par for the course of a biopsy showing positive but not giving the type.

Sister and mother both have had it so it was no great surprise.

Moderators

nonetheless, we are sorry that you too have apparently joined the club nobody wants to join. It really varies from center to center. It may be that they need additional testing to say what type it is. Three days seems like a lifetime, we understand.

Here are are some questions though that you may want to have ready:

http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/diagnosis/dr_questions

Please keep us posted!

RobinLK

I am pretty sure I did not learn the type of my cancer until I met with the breast surgeon. Staging was not done until after the surgery.

Kicks

" that is is positive but - -- didn't indicate the flavor of ca" . IF the Dr had gotten a pathology report - he/she would have known the type. The biopsy would have told what type was there (if any). It does take a biopsy to diagnosis any type of BC. You should have been given a copy of the path. report - it is your right to have them. Also should keep all copies in case needed in the future and for your knowledge.

No that is not 'par for the course' for all. My FNBs were done on Thurs afternoon and the Radiologist call me at 8 the next morning (Fri) with the path. report and was told what it was.

Biopsies are what diagnoses cancer and the type. Stage can not accurately be determined until surgery.

"Flavor of ca" - that is bizarre for a Dr to say and one that I'd be running from!

etnasgrl

I experienced this as well.
I had my biopsy and two days later, my family practice doctor called me to tell me that the results of the biopsy were positive, but she didn't have any further info.
Apparently, the radiologist who did the biopsy contacted my family practice doctor, (who ordered the biopsy), to let her know that results were positive, but the report had yet to be sent over.

I learned more info at my consult with the breast surgeon.

So....I wouldn't say "run" from that doctor.

nonetheless

Thanks for the input. The report was transmitted electronically 4 days after the biopsy so it would seem that all the information about the biopsy would have been there. I'm not fretting (well maybe just a little) because I'll find out from the BS this week but I just thought it odd when I read so many posts that suggest the type was known when the biopsy report came back positive. I know it's one step at a time but just knowing that it came back positive made me want to start researching more so if I had known the type it would have been helpful.

I don't blame my doc if he knew but didn't tell me. He's had his hands full with me over the years and kept a good demeanor.

I keep copies of all my records so I'll add all that is to come. I have a type of chronic blood cancer also so I'm used to dealing with obtaining my own copies.

Hopeful82014

My PCP called me on a Friday afternoon to tell me my biopsies were positive but told me she didn't have any additional information and I would have to wait until I spoke with a surgeon for more details. I asked if she had the biopsy report to which she did. I asked her to fax it to me, which she argued about. When I picked it up later that day it was clear that she had had a great more information that she had let on. Not all of the pathology was complete, but enough that I could spend the weekend reading up on the information I did have.

(As I learned later, I could also have picked up a copy from the imaging center at the hospital, and I now do that routinely.)

I think some MDs, especially PCPs, are reluctant to share information. That doesn't mean I cut them any slack on it, however.

I'm sorry your biopsy was positive, Nonetheless, and hope you'll find encouraging information when you do finally receive your report.

Moderators

Nonetheless -- we're thinking about you today. How did your surgical consult go?

Keep us posted!

--The Mods

nonetheless

Thanks for your thoughts! The consult with the BS went great. She made me feel like I was in capable hands. As a former RN I am very critical of docs but she was tops. Her mom had aggressive bc so that was one of her motivations to specialize in bc.

At first I did start freaking out because she did not yet have the biopsy report so she couldn't tell me what kind of ca I had so she laid out the worst case scenario. A half hour into the consult the nurse was able to access the report which revealed it was DCIS. So that was quite a relief. I'm having a lumpectomy in 2 days. We were going to put it off for 2 weeks to let me get though my busy season in my business BUT she started talking about the possibility that on surgery day I would have to go through more imaging to stick the wire in my breast so she would know where to excise (even though the radiologist put in the marker during my biopsy). As it stands now I have a large hematoma from the biopsy and it certainly won't dissolve in 2 days so that will help guide her to the area for lumpectomy.

We discussed some of what I learned on this great forum such as even though it biopsied as DCIS it might turn up IDC as well. And that I might need further surgery. I felt like I was well prepared after reading so many of the threads and suggested reading and topics of this site. Great work, mods.

I'll update my signature line after surgery.

Hopeful82014

I'm glad to hear your consult went so well. Good luck with your lumpectomy. Best wishes for clean nodes, clean margins, an encouraging path. report and an easy recovery.

ChiSandy

I’m grateful that my Gyne is part of the same health system (NorthShore) as my entire breast team (though my PCP is at Presence). I get my annual mammos at NorthShore Evanston Hospital--had my screening mammo on a Tues. aft, got the report in my patient portal inbox the next morning and my Gyne called a couple of hours later to tell me to make an appt. for diagnostic mammo & ultrasound. Had my core-needle biopsy on a Tuesday and Gyne’s partner called me Wed. night with the prelim. path report and was able to tell me it was IDC, grade 2. Next morning, Gyne called to tell me it was also ER+/PR+/HER2-, and the full path report was in my inbox the day after that. Either your PCP is so old fashioned that he thought you wouldn’t understand the “technical stuff,” the pathologist was so condescending that (s)he didn’t feel it was important to tell your PCP anything more than “malignant” or “benign” and make him wait for a written report, or what you went through was the result of there not being a connection or affiliation between your PCP, the facility performing your biopsy and the path lab.

But that last possibility is still no excuse. We are 15 years into the 21st century. There is no excuse for such a lack of or delayed communication when even rural communities have internet and fax machines. And it is equally shameful for our providers to be condescending towards patients (and to each other, on an apparently hierarchical basis).

Dee2010

Wow, my experience was totally opposite. When I first went to my family doctor with my orange peel skin, he immediately went online and printed out some info for me on inflammatory breast cancer. He said it's relatively rare but aggressive, and needed to be treated as such until we knew it wasn't that. He made appointments for my biopsy, for baseline testing (EKG, CT Scans, etc.) before it was even confirmed, and those tests started within a few days. My treatment (chemo) started immediately once IBC was confirmed. Bilateral mast and radiation followed, and I am eternally grateful that my doctor was so forthright with me at the time. (So sad, he moved to another province shortly afterwards.)

My last treatment for IBC was five years ago (nearly to the day -- December 4th).

SummerAngel

Many doctors don't want to share a lot of details over the phone because they believe that patients want most of the information in person (and from what I've read, this tends to be true). I really don't believe they're deliberately being difficult at all! When my BS called to tell me the results of my excision she didn't give me any details except that they found cancer and it was "small". She said I needed to make an appointment asap to discuss. I felt like that was perfectly normal, and she went into great detail during our appointment two days later, giving me a copy of the pathology report as soon as I sat down.