What was the typical time frame

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phrogger78
phrogger78 Member Posts: 115
edited January 2016 in Just Diagnosed

What was the general time frame from when you first went to the Dr. either with a concern about a breast cancer symptom or when your Dr. found something concerning, until you started some kind of treatment? This whole process seems to just be taking forever, when in reality I am pretty sure it isn't taking too long, I just feel a bit out of control.

I saw my Dr. on the 7th of december, had my mammogram and ultrasound on the 11th, the radiologist at that point told me he was sure it was cancer. I had the biopsy on the 14th and the 18th I was told the pathology report confirmed it is cancer in my breast and at least one lymph node in the axilla, (they biopsied both). I saw the general surgeon on the 21st and he is sent me to the breast surgeon on the 23rd. So that all went pretty fast, but now is the wait. I won't have my PET scan until the 13th and then I will see the oncologist on the 18th. The breast surgeon has already talked to the oncologist and as of now, the plan is chemo first. So, what is the general, time frame to start chemo after seeing the oncologist, at least from your experience.

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  • Skittlegirl
    Skittlegirl Member Posts: 428
    edited December 2015

    I felt a lump around August 18th. Saw my gyno on the 21st of August. Had my mammo and us on the 2nd of September. Had biopsy on September 3rd. Had MRI on September 7th. Met with BS on September 8th. Met with MO on September 15th. Had PET scan and MUGA scan on September 18th. Got port placed on September 21st. Had lymph node biopsy on September 22nd. Met with RO on September 24th. Started chemo on September 30th. So about a month and a half from feeling the lump to starting treatment.

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  • ayr1016
    ayr1016 Member Posts: 228
    edited December 2015

    Good question. Of course, I can not answer it. But, I feel that for you (and me as well), the holidays really put us at a disadvantage. I saw my doctor on Friday Dec 18th, she got me in for the diagnostic mammogram/biopsy the following TUE (she text/called the radiologist while I was there at my appointment that Friday). Mam/Biopsy that Tuesday, results that WED (Christmas eve), called the surgeon and medical oncologist this Monday (Dec 28th). Have an appointment back at the radiologist/breast center for a staging MRI this upcoming TUES and appointment with the breast surgeon next Thursday (she only has appointments 2 days a week). I feel like (so far) it is going as fast as it can with dealing with the short weeks/holidays. I'm terrified it will come to a screeching halt after next week for some reason. So, I'm anxious to see answers to your question. The one bummer this week for me is that the medical oncologist's office would not set up my appointment till after I saw the breast surgeon. That confused me. So, that is the one appointment I have not been able to make.

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  • phrogger78
    phrogger78 Member Posts: 115
    edited December 2015

    Ayr1016 I had a similar hold up, I had to see the general surgeon first, then breast surgeon, now I am off to the oncologist but he wants the PET scan first. There was a hold up with the referral approval which is annoying as well, but I think you are right, the holidays did not help things at all, and neither did the insurance company needing pre authorizations for every little thing.

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  • LM070917
    LM070917 Member Posts: 323
    edited December 2015

    I got referred to a breast clinic who did the biopsy, my gp told me the results that it was bc a week later. He referred me to the general surgeon for he following Thursday, in the mean time he booked me in for bone scan and ct scan- all clear thank god! I met with the general surgeon and she booked me in for a mascretomy by the following Wednesday. All that took nearly 3 weeks. I then started chemo 5 weeks later

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  • ayr1016
    ayr1016 Member Posts: 228
    edited December 2015

    I'm glad you mentioned insurance company/referrals phrogger78 because my insurance company is staying the same, but the plan is going from PPO to EPO on January 1st (such bad timing!), so now I have to call and make sure my two appointments will be good to go next week (referral wise). So frustrating.

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  • Unbreakable01
    Unbreakable01 Member Posts: 153
    edited December 2015

    I don't remember all the dates but I saw my primary may 8th, ultrasound a week later, then biopsy with results of cancer may 27. I saw a breast surgeon and then had to do the brca test. Results for that took the longest then I had a breast mri. I saw the plastic surgeon and and was in for surgery July 29.

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  • Mamiya
    Mamiya Member Posts: 432
    edited January 2016

    the timing may depend on your exact diagnosis, what is it, if you don't mind sharing? You can make that part of your profile "public" so that other members can see it. In my case I first went to my PCP on the 18th and I had my first dose of chemo on the 22nd of the next month. But that was after some heavy red tape cutting and was critical in my case because I have IBC. Some other forms of BC are not as time-sensitive. I don't know if that helps you but I think you are fine and shouldn't worry, it sounds like you have the right things scheduled and that your doctors have a lot of information and will take many things into consideration to get you in when you need to be!

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  • pjkinzel
    pjkinzel Member Posts: 4
    edited January 2016

    I just seen the BS. I am scheduled for an MRI this coming week and waiting on authorization for plastic surgeon and genetic dr to test for the Brca gene. I was diagnosed the middle of December when my results cone back from the biopsies. I have Stage 2 Invasive Lobular Carcinoma. I am so overwhelmed. BS said I would be having surgery by the end of January. Mastectomy possibly a double. Scared out of my mind.

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  • MissBee123
    MissBee123 Member Posts: 186
    edited January 2016

    Diagnosed on May 12th and began chemo on July 27th. Long waits are not unusual. In between that time I needed:

    3 additional biopsies

    MRI

    PET scan

    Met 4 doctors (medical oncologist, breast surgeon, plastic surgeon, radiation oncologist)

    Labs

    Surgery physical and clearance

    Port surgery

    I am probably forgetting other things, too. It can take some time so try not to panic. For me, I preferred them being thorough over just pushing me into treatment before they had all the information.

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  • etnasgrl
    etnasgrl Member Posts: 650
    edited January 2016

    I went in for my screening mammogram on October 16th. They found a suspicious mass and called me back in for an ultrasound. (I was not concerned as I have done this several times.)

    Ultrasound done on October 20th. After ultrasound, they wanted to do a biopsy.

    Core needle biopsy done on October 28th.

    Results came back and I was diagnosed on November 5th.

    November 9th, I met with surgical oncologist. Between November 9th and December 4th, I had several blood tests done, (genetic testing was one as my mother also had breast cancer), MRI, and appointments with plastic surgeon and surgical oncologist.

    December 10th, I had lumpectomy and SNB.

    December 17th, results came back that I had clean margins and no cancer in the lymph nodes.

    December 21st, met with radiation oncologist and medical oncologist.

    Next on the list is waiting for my Oncotype testing to come back and then depending on results, chemo, or no chemo and straight to radiation.

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  • phrogger78
    phrogger78 Member Posts: 115
    edited January 2016

    Thanks Notdoneyet. That does help a lot. My diagnosis is Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. That is pretty much all I know at this point other than the tumor itself is relatively small (largest area is 1.4 cm) but it has very irregular edges (looks like a star) and it has spread to at least one lymph node in my arm pit. I had both the tumor and the node biopsied. The first general surgeon I saw is assuming it is fairly aggressive, but I really have nothing to base that on other than an assumption.

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  • phrogger78
    phrogger78 Member Posts: 115
    edited January 2016

    Thanks everyone, it does sound like the time line seems pretty standard. I am not worried about the process as much as I am worried about how treatment is going to affect school. I had really hoped to get in with the oncologist before school started back up because as soon as school starts, my schedule gets really tight, almost no wiggle room. It is honestly more a convenience thing for me. I know, that sounds terrible, but school is so critical to me, I just want it to all be planned out so I don't have to worry about that, but it doesn't look like that is going to happen so I will just accept that I have to wait ;)

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  • BarredOwl
    BarredOwl Member Posts: 2,433
    edited January 2016

    Hi Etnasgrl:

    I am a little puzzled by your stats, which seem to suggest a lower stage than indicated in your profile. I am just a layperson, so please confirm the following with your providers. It looks to me like you may actually be Stage IA. :)

    Staging has three components: T (size), N (node status), and M (distant spread).

    From a size perspective alone, a tumor that is exactly 1 centimeter is considered "T1b" size:

    T1b Tumor > 5 mm but ≤ 10 mm in greatest dimension

    But that is just the "T" size (T1, specifically T1b), and is not the actual stage.

    With purely node negative (N0), local disease, a person with a T1b-size tumor would be "T1, N0, M0", which corresponds to "Stage IA", as shown on the chart entitled "Anatomic Stage/Prognostic Groups" here at page 1, center, line 2:

    https://cancerstaging.org/references-tools/quickre...

    In contrast, with a T1 size tumor (e.g., T1b), to be Stage IB, there must be some limited node involvement ("pN1mi"), meaning the presence of nodal micrometastases (greater than 0.2 mm and/or more than 200 cells, but none greater than 2.0 mm). See line 4 of the chart ("T1, N1mi, M0").

    Please ask your providers about it.

    BarredOwl

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  • BethL
    BethL Member Posts: 286
    edited January 2016

    barredowl and egtna- after reading your post on the 1a vs 1b, I looked at my profile. When I entered in my tumor characteristics and then the pull down came up for me to enter stage, it started with 1b. I assumed because I had picked dcis and idc that 1a wasn't an option. I know better now so went back to see what happened after reating the last post. The first option shows as 1b, you have to scroll backwards to see the 1a. I didn't even know it was there. Perhaps that's what happened with etna.

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  • BarredOwl
    BarredOwl Member Posts: 2,433
    edited January 2016

    Hi BethL:

    Thanks for the tip.

    BarredOwl

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  • etnasgrl
    etnasgrl Member Posts: 650
    edited January 2016

    BarredOwl....

    Thanks for pointing this out! It should be Stage 1A, I guess I just picked the wrong one when entering in my diagnosis.

    Happy

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  • Wildflower2015
    Wildflower2015 Member Posts: 279
    edited January 2016

    Barred Owl,

    What is a stage 1, node negative, 1.7 cm tumor considered, stage-wise, not size-wise? 1a or 1b?

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  • BarredOwl
    BarredOwl Member Posts: 2,433
    edited January 2016

    Hi Wildflower:

    These are my thoughts, as a layperson, based on this chart:

    https://cancerstaging.org/references-tools/quickre...

    Page 1, top, center panel describes all T1 tumors:

    T1 Tumor ≤ 20 mm in greatest dimension includes:

    T1mi Tumor ≤ 1 mm in greatest dimension

    T1a Tumor > 1 mm but ≤ 5 mm in greatest dimension

    T1b Tumor > 5 mm but ≤ 10 mm in greatest dimension

    T1c Tumor > 10 mm but ≤ 20 mm in greatest dimension

    A 1.7 cm (17 mm) tumor would be a "T1" tumor (specifically T1c size-wise).

    If also node-negative (N0), and M0, then it would be as shown in the chart, page 1, bottom, center panel, line 2:

    Stage IA: T1, N0, M0

    Please be sure to confirm this information with your doctors, since I have no relevant training.

    BarredOwl

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  • Neen56
    Neen56 Member Posts: 14
    edited January 2016

    It seems like my journey has taken forever. My first mammogram was in September. Went back a week later to be told I needed a biopsy but needed to see a breast surgeon. It took 2+ weeks to get an appointment to see her. She scheduled the biopsy at the hospital for 2 weeks after that. Then an MRI was scheduled but during the middle of it I got a cramp in my side and couldn't continue. So another 10 day wait for that. Biopsy was back the beginning of November. Then I had to see the medical oncologist and the radiation oncologist. Finally my lumpectomy was scheduled for January 6th. I got the good news results on Friday the 8th. So, yeah, it took forever.

    When I had cervical cancer, 12 years ago, the oncologist diagnosed me on a Tuesday and I markers for radiation on Thursday and my first chemo and radiation treatment on Monday. Six days and I was in treatment, and with breast cancer I have waited for 4 months. Crazy. I have NO idea why breast cancer is such a long, drawn out, process. We all know that waiting is THE WORST part of cancer.

    My next step is to see the plastic surgeon (he closed the incision) tomorrow and see the breast surgeon on the 18th. Then I meet with the medical oncologist for the oncotype DX test. Then off to the radiation oncologist to decide which type of radiation I will choose.

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  • ChiSandy
    ChiSandy Member Posts: 12,133
    edited January 2016

    Had annual screening mammo Aug. 17th, was notified next morning (18th) by message in my patient portal to schedule spot compression mammo & possible ultrasound for a "focal asymmetry" not present on my 2014 screener. Soonest appt I could get was Aug. 25th--diagnostic mammo led to ultrasound and recommendation for core-needle biopsy, which due to uncancelable travel plans I scheduled for (and had) Sep. 8th. The evening of the 9th they phoned me with the results (IDC grade 2); the next morning my gyne called to tell me my ER/PR/HER2 status and set up a surgeon appt for Sep. 14, with whom I met. Scheduled lumpectomy for Sep. 23, had "patient teaching session" on the 18th, at which my surgical follow up and MO appt were set for Oct. 1. Had surgery on Sep. 23, got final path results the 28th. Met with MO on Oct. 1, who ordered OncotypeDX. On Oct. 5, she also set up genetic counseling for Oct. 8, at which time I was tested or genetic mutations. Oncotype results came in Oct. 12 and genetic results Oct. 19. Met with RO Oct. 15, had CT & DEXA scans Oct. 22, sim session Oct. 29 and began radiation Nov. 2, finishing the 23d.

    Obviously, the results of my screening mammo (12 hrs), ultrasound (immediately) and biopsy (36 hrs)came unusually quickly. Average wait times for surgical path, OncotypeDX and genetic test results.

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