I’ve recently just found out I have breast cancer. I’m going to a one stop breast clinic tomorrow and don’t know what to expect. I’m nervous and scared. Does anyone know what to expect? Thank you.
I am so sorry to hear that you find yourself on this journey too. Attending the breast clinic is not as scary as you might imagine. You will probably have a chat with the cancer nurse, before having one with your consultant, who will discuss your symptoms in general. You will then have a physical examination of your breasts. An experienced specialist can usually tell by the feel of your breasts, but you will need tests to confirm whether or not there is any cancer present. I don't know what age you are. People who are under 40, don't usually have a mammogram, because their breasts tend to be denser than older breasts. As a result, they don't show up very clearly on mammogram. If you are over 40 (this is a rough figure), you will have a mammogram, an ultrasound and possibly a biopsy. The mammogram and ultrasound show up any lumps and their shape. The biopsy determines whether or not there is any cancer in the cells.
You will possibly see the consultant again after your tests are over to discuss the findings. If you need a biopsy, you may have to wait up to a couple of weeks for the result to come back. When this happens, the findings will be discussed at a multidisciplinary team meeting (MDT), which your consultant holds regularly. This is a meeting of all the professionals, likely to be involved in your care. They will discuss the best treatment options for you and your consultant will convey these decisions, when you meet for your biopsy results.
You will find that the staff at these clinics are all very helpful an understanding. The worst part is waiting for the results. Once you have these, you will either have to wait for surgery, or to see an oncologist, to discuss treatment. The either/or here is because some people have surgery first and then treatment, whereas, others may have some treatment before surgery. This all depends on the type and stage of breast cancer.
I have had 2 bouts of breast cancer. That was all 14 years ago and I still lead a busy and fulfilling life - I hope that you will too.
Please keep in touch and let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.
Thank you for your response so sorry you had to go through this too. I’ve been told my cancer isn’t curable but can be managed. I’m devastated and not really took all this in just yet. I have my family around me it’s just really difficult hearing those words xx
I really am so sorry to hear this. You will experience all sorts of emotions over the next while. These will vary from anger, to fear, denial, "why me", etc. All of these are normal. It will take some time for your diagnosis to fully sink in. I am glad to hear that you have a good support network around you. I know that it is truly devastating to hear this news. This is not the end of the line. A number of people are living with manageable cancer these days. Life is too short to let cancer take over. The positive in all of this, is that it is still manageable. Your consultant wouldn't have told you this, unless s/he knew that it was. This is a time for making memories with your family, while you can.
Do you know what your treatment will consist of yet?
There are a number of people on the forum, who are in a similar position to you and I hope that some of them will be along to chat with you soon.
Please keep in touch and let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.
