Hi, Mum was diagnosed 6 weeks ago now with breast cancer, her op will be in 3 weeks time... 9 weeks in total from diagnosis to op (which is her first part of treatment) is this a normal waiting time??? Seems quite long to us.
I am sorry to hear about your mum's diagnosis of breast cancer.
There are recommended NHS waiting times people should wait to start cancer treatment. You can see more about this in our information about waiitng times on our website here In particular you will have seen this:
No more than 2 months (62 days) wait between the date the hospital receives an urgent referral for suspected cancer and the start of treatment and no more than 31 days wait between the meeting at which you and your doctor agree the treatment plan and the start of treatment.
However, remember that sometimes surgery is not the first treatment for breast cancer, for example some people have chemotherapy before surgery.
Unfortunately we know that some Trusts across the NHS are not able to meet these recommendations, this is because of the amount of patients they are now caring for and/or lack or staff. If your mum is concerned about this then she could talk with her breast care nurse or the Patient, Advice and Liaison Service (PALS), although I am not sure if that will change anything for her.
Please get back to us if you need any more information or support. You may find it helpful to talk things through with one of the nurses on our helpline. The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.
