Hi Laurawildlifelover and thank you for your post.

I am sorry to read that you have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

It’s very normal to feel worried while waiting for your results. After a lumpectomy and lymph node removal, most people get their pathology results in 2-3 weeks, because the laboratory needs time to prepare and check everything carefully. Sometimes it can take longer—like 3 or 4 weeks—especially if the hospital is busy or if extra tests are needed or over bank holiday periods.

Usually all biopsies are discussed in an multi disciplinary team meeting (MDT). This may add an extra week to receiving your results.

MDT meetings  usually happen once a week and if there are too many patients on the list a patient can be deferred to the following week.

The MDT will recommend the most appropriate treatment for you, based on the best evidence available.

Once your biopsies have been discussed at the meeting you will be given an appointment to discuss your treatment plan.

If you haven’t heard anything yet, it’s fine to ring your breast care nurse or your consultant’s secretary. They’ll be able to tell you when your results might come and can help calm your worries.

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. 

Maggie's are also a great source of support for patients and can also provide counselling and talking therapies to help people process what they are going through and help people move forward.

I can understand how anxious  it can be to get results back and I do hope you hear more soon.

Please get back to us if you need any more information or support

It might help to talk things through with one of our nurses on the helpline. You can call for free on 0808 800 4040, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Kind regards,

Tina

Hi Laurawildlifelover and thank you for your post.

I am sorry to read that you have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

It’s very normal to feel worried while waiting for your results. After a lumpectomy and lymph node removal, most people get their pathology results in 2-3 weeks, because the laboratory needs time to prepare and check everything carefully. Sometimes it can take longer—like 3 or 4 weeks—especially if the hospital is busy or if extra tests are needed or over bank holiday periods.

Usually all biopsies are discussed in an multi disciplinary team meeting (MDT). This may add an extra week to receiving your results.

MDT meetings  usually happen once a week and if there are too many patients on the list a patient can be deferred to the following week.

The MDT will recommend the most appropriate treatment for you, based on the best evidence available.

Once your biopsies have been discussed at the meeting you will be given an appointment to discuss your treatment plan.

If you haven’t heard anything yet, it’s fine to ring your breast care nurse or your consultant’s secretary. They’ll be able to tell you when your results might come and can help calm your worries.

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. 

Maggie's are also a great source of support for patients and can also provide counselling and talking therapies to help people process what they are going through and help people move forward.

I can understand how anxious  it can be to get results back and I do hope you hear more soon.

Please get back to us if you need any more information or support

It might help to talk things through with one of our nurses on the helpline. You can call for free on 0808 800 4040, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Kind regards,

Tina

• Thankyou for the quick response and information, I will wait another week and see if anything arrives in regards to an appointment and ot results, during this period of Christmas and new year there may be more time needed and as you say the results and meetings required before I hear anything, very much appreciate the time taken to reply, Thankyou