Diagnosis over phone

Hi, my mum got diagnosed with breast cancer & got her breast and lymph nodes removed last August. There was a mass found on her kidney about 8 months ago. She had scan a few weeks ago & got a phone call from consultant to say it was cancer. (She is 82 & was alone when she got call) is this normal? He gave her two options surgery or wait 6 to 9 months & see if it grows. She hasn’t been well constant urine infections extreme tiredness etc….She told him she wants to wait ….Can anyone offer advice 

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  • Hi ElleLoveMyMum,

    A very warm welcome to our forum, 

    I am so sorry to hear about your Mum's second cancer diagnosis. Some consultants do give results over the phone, irrespective of the outcome, although most prefer to give all results face-to-face. Unfortunately, in busy clinics, it is not always possible to deliver all of the results personally. Given your Mum's age, I am surprised that she was given this news when she was on her own.

    It sounds as if her symptoms may well be the result of this latest diagnosis. I am not a doctor and even if I were, it would be impossible for me to advise on the best course of action, without examining her and having access to her results. Many patients are given the option of monitoring the situation, before heading straight for surgery. This is especially true when the patient is elderly and might encounter problems as a result of the surgery. After discussing the options with her surgeon, the choice lies squarely with your Mum and it sounds as if she is happy to monitor the situation. All you can do is to support her in this decision and ensure that she gets tested regularly. Opposing her stance will only bring more upset than she has already.

    I sincerely hope that this cancer doesn't progress too quickly and that her urine infections can be better controlled, now that you know the cause.

    Please keep in touch and let us know how she gets on. We are always here for both of you.

    Kind regards,

    Jolamine xx

  • Offline in reply to Jolamine Unpublished Reply

    Thank you so much for reply. My query is mum was given no more info than that I put in post so we have no idea what we are dealing with. I know it’s her choice but surely we should get opportunity to weigh up the pro & cons? Also no monitoring just that she will get appointment for another scan in 6-9 months. Don’t even know for sure who rang her. I have googled name she thought he said & found a urologist but not 100% sure. 

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  • Offline in reply to Jolamine Unpublished Reply

    Thank you so much for reply. My query is mum was given no more info than that I put in post so we have no idea what we are dealing with. I know it’s her choice but surely we should get opportunity to weigh up the pro & cons? Also no monitoring just that she will get appointment for another scan in 6-9 months. Don’t even know for sure who rang her. I have googled name she thought he said & found a urologist but not 100% sure. 

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