Got my Pathology Report but no diagnoses on it?

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SewinthePast
SewinthePast Member Posts: 13
edited June 2014 in High Risk for Breast Cancer

I see my surgeon on Monday and I am hoping he will give me some insite. That being said my family dr (who gave me a copy) said today on voice mail that it all looked B9 and if I had any questions to call. A dear friend who lives a state away is a nurse and her husband is a retired doctor. He offered to look at my path report and give me the laymen verison. He said he was not impressed by the report and did I have a page with the diganoses on it. Nope the only other page was what the samples looked like, how many etc.

His opinon, knowing my mother died from very aggressive BC, is that I should from what he saw be followed closely and with MRI along with Mammograms. With the cavate of the number of false postive results could be high. My reply was rather false postive (have to go for more testing) then false negative (miss the polar bear in the storm type thing)

Is it common to NOT have a diagnoses on the path report. Mine lists what was seen in the samples (by location and if they had microcaulcs or not) from each site.

Thanks for any help!!! 

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  • Infobabe
    Infobabe Member Posts: 1,083
    edited August 2012

    SewinthePast

    I can only suggest that you call your doctor back and ask these same questions.  Should there be more and where is the diagnosis.  You can mention that a doctor friend looked at it and has questions. 

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited August 2012

    if there wasn't any specific "diagnosis" mentioned on the pathology report, most likely everything  was found to be benign. (and it sounds like that is what your family doctor interpreted as well). I would have your surgeon go over it  with you  and discuss any recommendations he has for follow-up in the future. (sounds like close monitoring is a good idea due to your family history of bc).

    anne 

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  • SewinthePast
    SewinthePast Member Posts: 13
    edited August 2012

    THANK YOU BOTH!

    My doctor friend just went into a bit more detail. He said yes the results are b9 HOWEVER what is going on in there combined with my family history raises a warning flag to keep watch in his opinion.

    I am going to press the surgeon when I see him about it - but at least my friend said it is odd (perhaps for where he lives) for them not to state at the least that the outcome was say FCC etc.

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  • SewinthePast
    SewinthePast Member Posts: 13
    edited August 2012

    Well saw the surgeon and have decieded that he has the bedside manner of a flea.

    Came in - peeked quickly at my sites - said I had experianced some bleeding (from the large bruises) and that my skin issue was stress tears on my skin from the steri strips not any type of allergy to adhesives. All very like he had someplace more important to be. He said well your report is all B9 so just get a follow up picture of that side only in 6 months and if there is a problem to call him for an appointment two weeks after I get the pictures done.

    That was it - did not want to explain what they found to me , just don't worry about it.

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  • LISAMG
    LISAMG Member Posts: 639
    edited September 2012

    Get the follow up breast imaging done in 6 months, standard of care, following a biopsy & find another physician in the meantime !!

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  • SewinthePast
    SewinthePast Member Posts: 13
    edited September 2012

    Thanks Lisa!

     We are making our annual trek to Mayo Clinic (my husband is a transplant reciepent there so we get to go for his check up)

    My husband said we were never seeing that guy again on our way to the car so he then suggested a check by Mayo's Breast clinic. Our insurance will cover it so I said I can see if I can get an appointment.

    Talked with the main scheduling department and the woman was very kind - said do you want them to just go over your records or do you want a clinical exam & consult by them as well. What they heck - after all this I feel still like something might have been missed by our sub par hospital so I said sure (once again it will be covered) She said oh you want an appointment for specific time...hmmm that can be super hard with that department. Let me see if we can find something. She came back on and said I can't believe it but I found an appointment for you for Monday the 10th at 7:45 am. I'll take it! 

    Knowing we have had such fantastic care by them from the standpoint of no stone unturned my husband and I both feel that we can breath easy if I get a clean bill and know that what ever they recommend for follow up (be it a combo of MRI/Mammo or just regular mammos etc) for the future my local care team will be able to handle and if they find something then we will know that doing this was the right thing to do.

    I just had a mole (new only found it a few weeks ago) from between my toes removed by a local derm/plastic surgeon. He was so the total polar opposite of this other fellow I had to deal with I just could not believe it...he was fantastic! He explained to me if that had been there for years he would say no big deal - however its new and that it looked like it COULD be something but good for me to come in right away. That I could call next week if I don't hear from them by Friday morning for the results and that if I had any questions at any time just call.

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  • cancerregistrar
    cancerregistrar Member Posts: 2
    edited September 2012

    Hi SewInThePast:

    That's rather strange that it did not have a diagnosis, all path reports should, regardless of whether the outcome is benign or otherwise.  If the Pathology Department at the facility you were at is accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) they are required to use a template that includes specific types of data, including diagnosis.  If the path report was not finalized, that could be one reason it did not have it.  If you are so inclined I would call the Medical Records Department, sign a release and request the path report in entirety. 

    Here's another helpful hint.  Physicians or cancer treatment centers who are accredited by the Commission on Cancer (CoC) must follow a set of standard guidelines for treating breast cancer patients.  They offer a series of free, downloadable documents that identify how a patient should be treated (ie according to national guidelines) for a specific type of cancer.  The patient versions are fairly easy to understand.  But, if you need help the nurses or nurse navigators at your doctor's office should be able to help.  Here's the NCCN Guidelines for Patients website to get the patient guidelines:  www.nccn.org/patients/default.asp. 

    Hope that helps!

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