Hi AGW and thank you for your post.

I can appreciate that waiting and not knowing can be stressful.   

Dermatology can be one of the busiest departments in the NHS and can send a large amount of biopsies to be examined.

The urgency of biopsies sent to laboratories depends on the doctors' assessments. However, processing speed is determined by the laboratory's capacity and the number of urgent biopsies already waiting. Unfortunately, patients have to cope with uncertainty until results are back. However, I do think if the doctor taking the biopsy had strongly suspected cancer or if the laboratories had found it then things would usually move more quickly.  

To ensure there is agreement on biopsy findings, it isn't unusual for a second pathologist to review the sample or the biopsies can be sent to a different laboratory for testing. This is not something that happens frequently, but it does happen. This can understandably slow up the waiting time for the results, but they must get it right.

You may be able to call the hospital and speak directly to the pathology department and ask for an update on your biopsy sample.

Waiting for results to be done is seldom an easy situation to cope with. Try to keep an open mind about everything for now until your doctors can tell you more and take things one step at a time. 

I hope you know more soon and that everything will be okay for you.

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.

Kind regards,

Tina