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Possible ear cancer on outer ear

AndyG
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Hell, I have been referred to maxillofacial for a lump that frequently scabs on outer ear that I have has since Christmas. I am on a waiting list and see the waiting time in my area is 19 weeks. I am worried now that this is a long time and was wondering what the procedure could be and if it is slow growing cancer is it ok to be put on hold for so long?

thank you

  • Hi AndyG and thank you for posting,

    I wasn't sure of your exact situation, whether you have been told that you have a type of skin cancer or what sort of referral has been made whether it is an urgent or non urgent referral, and whether the referral to the maxillofacial team has been done by your GP or a skin specialist

    I am not clear if this is your situation but you normally have a non-urgent referral to see a specialist if your GP thinks that you have basal cell carcinoma BCC. In this situation, there can be a wait of up to a few months. This is because BCC generally takes years to develop in most people. So waiting like this is unlikely to do any harm.

    If you are concerned about the wait, it is worth having a chat with the doctor who has made the referral. In some situations, if the doctor is concerned about the impact the delay may have on any treatment they can request an urgent referral. 

    I hope this helps. Please feel free to 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, all the best,

    Jemma

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    Thanks for the reply. 
    I had chemotherapy for lymphoma last year. Just found out that the ct scan I had after chemo in July last year showed a lump on my stomach. I wasn’t aware of this and no follow up had been done until last week when I had an appointment with consultant and a ct scan. This showed the lump still there and I have an urgent referral for a gastroscopy. This has worried me that they may have forgotten to follow it up and what the consequences might be. Is the wait likely to affect outcome?

    thanks,

    Andrew

  • in reply to AndyG

    Hello Andrew and thanks for your post,

    I am sorry to hear about the lump in your stomach. I think that you will have to wait for the results of the gastroscopy before they can tell you any more. They may be able to take a biopsy from the lump and hopefully get some more information from this. We have some information on having a gastroscopy which you might find helpful to look at.

    I do hope that you find out more soon.

    If you would like to talk this through with one of the nurses on the helpline then you are welcome to give us a call.  The number to ring is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.

    All the best,

    Catherine

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