Urgent referral to gynaecology. Tried to chase up my results but getting nowhere. What can I do?

4 weeks ago my gp referred me to gynaecology after having ovarian cancer symptoms and a private ultrasound showing a cystic structure next to my ovary. I had another ultrasound 2 weeks ago and I’ve heard nothing from gp or hospital. Sonographer who carried out scan said to chase up after a week. I’ve tried but I don’t seem to be getting anywhere and I’m still none the wiser to what is wrong with me. The pain and discomfort is just getting worse over time (currently 5 months). Surely if something was wrong I would have been contacted? My anxiety is through the roof and it seems like it’s not urgent so could that mean the structure has disappeared or could it take weeks before I know? I know there is long waiting times but I just want to know whether cancer has been ruled out. 

  • I went through this. First port of call would be to contact  gynaecologist dept where you went. They should give you a follow up appointment for results. If cancer is suspected they try to see you within 2 weeks. If you hear nothing then email your doctors surgery and get them to check with dr. In my case the dr knew nothing until he was informed. Good luck

  • Hi Skwood89 and thank you for your post.

    I'm sorry to hear about your situation. It does sound like this is a difficult time for you.

    If you have been given a consultant and have their name, it would be worth checking with their secretary to see if the results are available and if they can give you an idea of when you might receive them.

    If anything has been found you would have hopefully heard from the hospital as soon as possible, but this might depend on whether or not there are any sort of delays at the hospital; such as staff shortages. Generally, you would expect results 2-4 weeks after an urgent scan.

    Additionally it might also be worth checking with your GP to see if they have had any results.

    If you haven’t already done so, consider contacting the hospital’s Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) to voice your concerns.

    People often experience a whole range of emotions when waiting for results. We know that talking can often relieve some of the distress and anxiety. There's some useful advice about talking therapies and how to access them on the NHS website. In the meantime,  Anxiety UK has a good website with helpful tips on how to deal with anxiety in these situations. 

    I hope you know more soon and everything is okay.

    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 5 pm Monday to Friday.

    Kind regards

    Tina