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Helsbells12
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Hi All,

So, my dad is under the hospital being tested for prostate cancer. He’s seen his consultant, been examined, and had a MRI last week. According to the pathway, he’s supposed to next get a biopsy. However, he’s now got a CT scan in Thursday and a nuclear scan on Friday. But no biopsy has been done. I’m wondering if something more sinister has been spotted on the MRI and that’s why he’s been called back so quickly. Is this usual practice for probable prostate cancer? I’ve been trying to look on the usual sites and they keep saying MRI and then biopsy if needed. The other 2 scans don’t seem to come into play until after these so I’m a bit confused by the order. Many thanks for your help. 

  • Hello and thank you for your post.

    I am sorry to hear about your dad's situation.  

    Sometimes scans are done before biopsies are taken. This might be because something has been seen on a previous scan and/or a patient might have symptoms that need to be investigated.  There is no recommended order for a biopsy to be carried out. 

    The current recommendation in England is that you should not wait more than 28 days to find out if someone has cancer. The other parts of the UK do not have this recommendation but across all of the UK it is recommended that no one waits more than 62 days between the date the hospital receives an urgent suspected cancer referral and the start of treatment.

    I hope this has been helpful. 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.

    Take care,

    Caroline

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