Biopsy results to take "a couple of weeks"?

Anonymous

Biopsy results to take "a couple of weeks"?

Amica

I posted elsewhere questions about core needle biopsy, but long story short I am a 20 year Stage 2 breast cancer survivor. I seem to have a recurrence, in mid-June a 30 X 40 mm suspicious mass was discovered below my collarbone, I had a core needle biopsy on July 13th. I was told it might take "a couple of weeks" to get biopsy results. At the time I was just post-biopsy, lying on a stretcher, so I didn't think to question this.

But this seems like an awfully long wait. My tumor went from not-noticeable to a large noticeable lump jutting out from my collarbone seemingly out of nowhere. To me this indicates this large mass is very fast growing. I wish I had asked the radiologist if they could not have ordered my biopsy results "stat", i.e. as quickly as possible because he also mentioned that this mass may be inoperable because it is impinging on my jugular vein and my lungs. That sounds very threatening.

How long did your biopsy results take? I do realize services are faster in the U.S.
And any advice on how I might light a fire under my doctor or somehow get faster results? I am assertive and have tried to get my family doctor's office to treat this more urgently but it doesn't seem to be working. I am afraid by the time I get my results, and then wait the long time for a referral to a Cancer Center, then wait for an appointment, then wait for further tests, then wait for those test results, then wait for treatment--I'll be dead.

moth

Amica, I'm in BC.
When I had my biopsy in late 2017, I had it on a Tuesday, my GP had results that Friday and she spent a chunk of that afternoon calling around to find the oncology surgeon in Vancouver with the earliest avail appointment. Exactly a week after biopsy, I was meeting my surgeon; 7 days after that, I had surgery. (so from biopsy to surgery was 14 days)

I've discovered that having a really proactive GP makes a huge difference. She'd already started scouting surgeons before that because she figured that whatever it was, even if it was benign, we'd be at least considering removing it. So she already had some names & timelines in mind & had sent some referrals - she told me it's easy to cancel a referral so she didn't mind making referrals ahead of time - but they were all coming back with appointments weeks and weeks down the line.... That's why she got on the phone that Friday and started calling surgeon's offices and trying to squeeze me in.

I would see your GP and ask them to find a surgeon now, even before the biopsy results, given that it's highly suspicious. They can always cancel if necessary. FWIW, in BC we have surgical wait-lists (listed by individual surgeon) on a public website so you can see who has some potential space. Maybe that's available in Ontario? Then you can just ask to be sent to a specific surgeon who appears to have short lists.

Not sure how it works in Ontario but I didn't get my referral to the cancer agency till after my surgery. The surgeon was step 1 and that was all the GPs work to organize.

best wishes ~

Amica

Thanks @moth. You are fortunate you had a proactive family doctor. I don't think mine is. I would change doctors but now is not the time to do so, it is hard to find a family doctor in Ontario anyway that is taking new patients, and then there is a long wait time for the first appointment, so that wouldn't work.

I will try to see if there is a website that lists wait times to see surgeons. On the other hand, I don't even know if my tumor is operable yet, because the radiologist raised the possibility it wasn't.

I can't deny I feel highly frustrated with the Canadian healthcare system, or at least the Ontario healthcare system as I have experienced it so far (not saying it is bad for everyone.) As I have posted elsewhere on here, my first breast cancer experience was in the U.S. and everything moved much faster. But it seems that things also went quickly for you also in BC.

My family doctor asked me if I wanted to get the results in person or over the phone, and when I said "over the phone is fine, whatever is fastest" she visibly sighed with relief. She's just a fairly recent graduate and I don't think she has the strength or resolve to deal with this kind of situation, to be honest.

I was anxious waiting for the biopsy procedure, and now I'm anxious about waiting for results. All this waiting

NotVeryBrave

I don't know much about the Canadian health system, but I had the biopsy on a Friday morning and had the results on Monday afternoon. My GYN has a policy of automatically referring patients needing a biopsy to a BS so I had actually seen her right before the biopsy and she called with the initial results.

You may have to call daily or something. In the busyness of the daily grind, it's easy for medical offices to forget how important this is to you. You are always your best advocate.

Amica

@NotVeryBrave

That was my experience in the U.S. But it doesn't seem to be that way in Ontario. It is very different here. They do not react very well to being phoned, in fact, I had a receptionist hang up on me when I became insistent about being put through to the nurse about my biopsy. What I see as assertive, and I am always polite, they see as too aggressive or something. I also had a medical staff person complain to my doctor that I was rude, and I swear to God I wasn't, I was speaking emphatically on the phone because I was distressed. Also had a nurse say to me "if you don't like our medical system, why don't you move back to America." which is a shitty thing to say to a sobbing patient. There is no concept of customer service in Canadian healthcare. I hate it. The only plus it has is that it is universal healthcare. Otherwise it sucks.

NotVeryBrave

I'm so sorry. I can't imagine how frustrating that must be. I hope you can find an understanding and involved professional somewher there.

Golfnut33

hi amica

I’m in Ontario and it did take two weeks for me to receive biopsy results. Very frustrating and only received them then because the surgeon chased up the radiologist! My doctor was very proactive and had got me in with a surgeon as soon as she had the mammogram report - easy to cancel appointment if not needed so I would definitely push your doctor for that at the very least ....

I found it easier when I just accepted that I wasn’t going to get the results any quicker and kept myself busy with other things - watched a lot of stuff on Netflix.

Here’s hoping for good news for you xx

Amica

thank you @golfnut33

Yes that is what I am trying to do, get my doctor to book a consult with a surgeon.

I don't see how that can hurt. She already said it would take several weeks to get that appointment, so if in the meanwhile my biopsy results came in negative, then it is very easy to cancel that appointment. It seems totally logical to me, and I can't understand why my doctor won't do this for me. All I can do is switch family doctors if that is even possible, I don't know. I just don't understand, it's no skin off her back to have her office book that appointment.

Amica

Thanks @notverybrave...I appreciate the support.

Jadedjo

@amica

I'm in the same boat here.

7-10 business days and I'm in mb. Sounds like 7-10 days is a standard for most provinces.

The Canadian health system is slow,extremely slow most times. 

Amica

Dear Jadedjo

I got my results. So it ended up being much faster than they told me. But, it is not good. My lymph node is "positive for metastatic adenocarcinoma" and I will know more as they continue tests.

Wishing you a much better result than mine. Whatever it is we are sisters in this struggle and I am here to stand strong with you.

take care,

Amica

Pi-Xi

So sorry to hear the result, Amica. I hope you get a treatment plan in place soon. Hugs.

pingpong1953

I'm so sorry you're going through this. Ironically, I live in a small, somewhat remote city and everything moved very quickly for me. As I explained earlier, the time between my mammogram/biopsy (same day) and my first meeting with a local surgeon was 6 days. I think it helps that my surgeon's wife had breast cancer and he's a great advocate for his patients and helped to move things along. It shouldn't depend on luck. That said, I lived in the US for over 30 years and had some really useless doctors on occasion, but I was able to find good replacements. May have taken over a year to find a good one, but at least I was able to do it.

Jadedjo

@amica

I'm so sorry your going through this struggle again and it's metastic.. Life I can be exceptionally cruel to some people.

Your right about the Canadian system though most times I feel we are practice dummies for thier next job or numbers on a paper instead of human beings it's how many patients can I see in a day other then what can I fully do for the patient I am seeing.

Hopefully treatments will be successful.

Thank you, I am standing with you too.

 at this point I'm hoping and begging  for a miracle and the radiologist doctor was wrong.

Amica

thank you Pi-Xi.

Pingpong1953...I'm glad you found good doctors. I see you are only 5 months out from surgery. How is it going?

My doctor did refer me to the Juravinski Center in Hamilton Ontario, so she came through today, and she doesn't think the wait will be that long. So once I'm at a big center things should go more smoothly I think.

take care,

Amica

Jadedjo

@amica

Got the call today.its cancer.early but still cancer. It took 4 days if you don't count biopsy day so I'm guessing the 7-10 days is protection for them getting angry phone calls if there is a huge back up in the pathology lab and things are delayed.

pingpong1953

Sorry to hear it's cancer, but I imagine you're not surprised. At least now you're under the care of a cancer centre. I imagine that all of the centres in Ontario work the same. I know if I need to talk to my MO I just speak to the triage nurse at the centre and she passes on my concerns to a member of my MO's team, usually the NP. I've always gotten a return call by the end of the day. I must say I think it's cruel to tell you that results could take so long. I know it's a CYA thing for them, but it's too much stress to pile onto an already stressful situation!

As far as how I'm doing, I recovered well from the surgery, although the area over my scar is still numb, which feels really strange. I started on Femara in December and was having problems with hot flashes. My MO prescribed Lexapro for the hot flashes and it's actually worked, even with the stinky hot weather we've been having.

Good luck with what's ahead, and keep us posted!

NotVeryBrave

Jaded - Sorry to hear the news. I hope that treatment will be straightforward, soon, and successful.And that you'll be happy with your providers!

Jadedjo

@notverybrave

Thank you. I suspect there will frustration it's Canadian healthcare but right now I'm pissed I have cancer and when I'm pissed I'm a stampeding bull. I lay my cards on the table and say work with me or get the hell out of my way.

It's the despair moments that are going to be the hardest to deal with and the loss of control. I can go back and forth multiply in a day with that since I got the diagnosis.

Amica

Jadedjo

I am SO sorry to hear that. But it was caught early which is good, and early breast cancer is associated with a good prognosis, and you will learn more throughout the upcoming weeks. Before too long you will have an entire treatment team working with you, helping you battle this thing.

Hope everyone has a peaceful weekend, Hugs ()

Amica

Amica

Jadedjo , same here. I can go from zero to sobbing several times a day. It's partly the shock I think. You may feel more control once a treatment plan is worked out, and you know that these treatments are actively working to destroy and eliminate the cancer cells in your body. Do you know when your next appointment is yet?

with you on this,

Amica

Jadedjo

@ amica

Yes that's one thing the nurse and the doctor kept stressing. That it was caught early. And I keep saying "it's cancer early or not it's cancer"

I don't know if they thought I was going to breakdown but all it did was piss me off. I been walking through hell for fifteen years and instead of finding a way out I found a deeper pit. And it makes me rage that I have to endure this on top of everything else I have endured. Right now that rage is what is keeping me going, and my amazing friend in another province  who knows it's little things like keeping her Netflix account and leaving me on it ( been having a rough for the past few months so she added me on when she got a free offer then kept it afterward and it's got me through some bad moments) while I go through this nightmare, and a counsler who is trying to find funding and ways to ease my financial worry. 

I am blessed in the fact that I was already seeing a cancercare counsler and cancercare psychiatrist due to the hematologist who was keeping track of my anemia who works in cancercare referring me to them so I already got two care team members starting out and my counsler is already looking for local supports for me. I see the cancercare dietician beginning of august too.so I know I'm luckier then most who are walking this road and grateful for it.

Like everyone here I just didn't want to have cancer. Especially on top of everything else I have lived through the past decade and a half.

I know early means a much  better chance at survival.