Post-biopsy anxiety with cancer confirmation

Hello - you are in the right place for your questions and for what is to come - welcome!

The diagnostic process you have described is pretty par for the course and I really wish surgeons and oncologists would recognize that a bit more of a heads up as to how the process works, common timeframes, and whats next would be really helpful.

Here in the UK they do the physical exam, mammogram and then straight to ultrasound/biopsy if needed from those results. By the time you leave the clinic they can tell you if its likely cancer or likely not, but not definitive. Follow up discussion on the results (is, isnt cancer for sure and next steps) is up to 2 weeks later and then it could be more diagnostics or straight to surgery, and a pathology report shows up in the mail at some point. A lot of women don't find out stage until after surgery.

Even though the US follows a slightly different approach,the time it takes is still roughly the same. I wouldn't read too much into the scheduling if the office is supposed to be closed, they will have you/her come in and discuss the findings and next steps. Hopefully someone with direct experience of this will chime in.

I know the cancer is a shock and having to deal with so many different doctors and new terms is a lot to take in. Be glad that this was caught through annual monitoring and is still likely early stage - this is exactly how the process is supposed to work and it worked for your mom! Also, many women with breast cancer didn't necessarily have a family history, just the same as women who have heavy family histories don't necessarily have the BRCA gene.

Is your mother able/interested to participate in the forum directly with her concerns?

Karin, welcome!

First off, about 85% of breast cancers occur in people who have no family history. So the fact that your mother has been diagnosed with breast cancer but there is no family history is not unusual and doesn't indicate anything either positive or negative. It's just very common.

Second, getting the top-line biopsy results within 2 days is not unusual. Nor is it unusual to have to wait for the more detailed results. Hopefully those are available by the time of her appointment with the surgeon. Your mother should ensure that she receives a copy of all the imaging reports, and the pathology report from the biopsy, either through an on-line portal or a hard copy.

The critical information your mother and her doctors need to make the next decisions are the ER and PR status, the HER2 status (this can take longer), the grade of the cancer, the subtype of the cancer (these call come from the pathology report), and the estimated size of the cancer (which you seem to have; this comes from the imaging reports). Depending on these factors, either a lumpectomy or mastectomy will be recommended; if a lumpectomy is recommended, your mother can opt for a MX instead. In some cases, chemo may be recommended prior to surgery. If there is any possibility of neoadjuvant chemo being recommended, your mother will need to see a Medical Oncologist - the surgeon operates but the MO handles everything else.

As was mentioned, your mother may be sent for additional imaging - it depends on the diagnosis and the preferences of the doctor.

Will you be attending her appointments with your mother?

While family members are very welcome here, it helps us in responding to understand the situation when a family member is posting - for example, it's different if a family member is asking for her own knowledge vs. if she is in charge of her family member's care. Does your mother know that you are discussing her situation here? And have you told her about the site so that she can join? We've all been in her shoes and can offer her a lot of support and advice.

Hi karin196, Your Mom is lucky to have such a caring, supportive, daughter. I had my biopsy done by a radiologist and she called my PCP with the results. My PCP and radiologist then called me. They had talked it over and gave me their opinion on which BS I should see and then the radiologist scheduled my appointment for the following week. Everything happened so fast or it seemed to. Are you going to see the BS with your Mom? At that appointment you can ask for the pathology report of the biopsy. The BS will go over everything and then give your Mom her opinion on what surgery she should have or give your Mom options to think about. For me, I was able to schedule my surgery before I left and was able to complete pre-op testing at the hospital. There might be a treatment team of doctors who will then meet with your Mom, after surgery, to discuss her treatment plan. Your Mom will have more information about her cancer after surgery. As others have said it helps to have a plan in place. Best of luck to you and your Mom.

Karin,

I am happy to hear that your mom is being an active part of dealing with bc. So much of what happens seems like it’s out of our control when we are dx’ed (and a lot of it is!) that learning about her bc and actively participating in her treatment decisions can help her feel that she is much more than a passenger on a runaway train.

My younger dd went to most of my initial appointments and I found that helpful. With the doctors permission we also recorded those early and/or important visits.

We are a large and varied group of women, and some men. We are all ages, all different positions in life etc. I myself am a grandmother of three and an elementary school teacher.And if your mom ever wants to join us, we are here.

Wishing you and your mom well through these next steps karin! Makes sense the two of you remain uneasy while as you also said having a plan does help. Following those steps gives some sense of control b/c you're actually able to do something in the fight... Gives a specific focus for cognitive and emotional energy as well. Thanks so much for the update! Please keep us updated as you're able.... I know these are also exhausting times for people....