Hi Stacam,

Welcome to Cancer Chat. Your GP has probably referred you to the clinic because s/he suspects that there might be something amiss. Waiting for the results of tests is always a scary time, but we all have to wait it out.

Most people have a biopsy when investigating cancer. Some do come back clear, but others don't. I hate to say this, but if your radiologist applied a marker in your breast, she must have found something to attach it to. The question is whether this lump is malignant or benign. You will find this out when you get your results.

It is quite normal to have a marker inserted in your breast to help a surgeon to locate a lump, if needed.  I have had 2 bouts of primary breast cancer and had this done the first time. This helped my surgeon to locate the lump when he carried out a lumpectomy. Unfortunately, he didn't take a clear enough margin around the lesion, so I ended up with a second bout the following year. This time I had a double mastectomy, and so far so good.

My Mum died from secondary breast cancer 20 years ago. She survived for 12 years after she was diagnosed. Fortunately, treatment has moved on a lot since then, and more people are becoming cancer survivors rather than victims. I see a huge difference between the treatment she received and that which I myself have had in my cancer journey so far.

Try to distract yourself from the wait you are having for your results. Keep yourself busy with pleasanter pursuits. Try not to look up the internet, as not all sites are well researched or reliable.

I hope that you do not have to wait as long as two weeks before you are called back for your results.

Please keep us in the loop when you get your results. We are always here for you whenever you feel like talking.

Thinking of you and praying for a good result.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Stacam,

Welcome to Cancer Chat. Your GP has probably referred you to the clinic because s/he suspects that there might be something amiss. Waiting for the results of tests is always a scary time, but we all have to wait it out.

Most people have a biopsy when investigating cancer. Some do come back clear, but others don't. I hate to say this, but if your radiologist applied a marker in your breast, she must have found something to attach it to. The question is whether this lump is malignant or benign. You will find this out when you get your results.

It is quite normal to have a marker inserted in your breast to help a surgeon to locate a lump, if needed.  I have had 2 bouts of primary breast cancer and had this done the first time. This helped my surgeon to locate the lump when he carried out a lumpectomy. Unfortunately, he didn't take a clear enough margin around the lesion, so I ended up with a second bout the following year. This time I had a double mastectomy, and so far so good.

My Mum died from secondary breast cancer 20 years ago. She survived for 12 years after she was diagnosed. Fortunately, treatment has moved on a lot since then, and more people are becoming cancer survivors rather than victims. I see a huge difference between the treatment she received and that which I myself have had in my cancer journey so far.

Try to distract yourself from the wait you are having for your results. Keep yourself busy with pleasanter pursuits. Try not to look up the internet, as not all sites are well researched or reliable.

I hope that you do not have to wait as long as two weeks before you are called back for your results.

Please keep us in the loop when you get your results. We are always here for you whenever you feel like talking.

Thinking of you and praying for a good result.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine,

Thank you so much for your reply.

It is definately the not knowing that is the biggest worry at the moment. It will be a relief either way it goes when I get results as at least I will know what is what.

I am sorry to hear you have had to go though it twice but great news that you are doing good after your mastectomy. Is it normal that I am thinking the worst before I have even had results?

I will keep you updated...............and thanks for a little peace of mind!!

Stacy x

Hi Stacy,

It is perfectly normal to think the worst as soon as you get a diagnosis. Waiting for results is torture and our minds go into overdrive, particularly if we start diagnosing ourselves via the internet.

No matter which way the cookie crumbles, you will feel relief in knowing exactly what you are dealing with. Once surgery or treatment starts you will feel more positive, in that you are doing what you can to fight this disease.

There is still this terror surrounding the ‘Big C’, but things have changed a lot in the last twenty years. The treatment my Mum received was miles away from the treatment that I have had for the past 7 years and, more people are surviving cancer instead of dying with it.

I hope that you find that you are in the early stages when you return for your results. Be prepared for a whole raft of different emotions when you hear the news. Most of us seem to go through a stage of anger, denial, fear, worry about family, crying, etc. You may find these difficult to control, so warn your family that you may be difficult to live with for a while! If you find yourself crying a lot, just let the tears flow, as this can be a good stress relief.

It is a good idea to take someone with you to all of your appointments. It can also prove helpful to draw up a list of questions before each consultation. I give my hubby a duplicate list and he writes down the answers while I am talking to my consultant. Many others do this too, so don’t feel uneasy about doing this.

I am delighted to hear that our conversation has given you even a little peace of mind. I am here whenever you want to talk.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine,

So today I called to see if results were back from biopsy as the constant looking at the phone is actually doing my head in.

I was put through to the Breast Nurses but answer machine asked me to leave my name and number (which I did). Within 5 minutes I had a call back from one of the Nurses who said that a Monday is when the have a meeting to review results etc and my results weren't available at the time of meeting so will be discussed at next Monday's meeting - well Tuesday as it is September Weekend this weekend.

Surely if it did come back as something more serious then they wouldnt leave it so long to let me know?

I took on board your advice and spoke with my mum and dad last night. I told them all the things I was imagining it to be. They were very supportive as I knew they would be. My mum had breast cancer 8 years ago but after op and radiotherepy she has been great. As I said to them, its the not knowing that is the worst. If I knew one way or another what I was dealing with then I think I would face it straight on.

I would have been fine but when they put the metal ball in it got me thinking/worrying.

Thanks for the friendly ear!

Stacy xx 

Hi Stacy,

I am glad to hear that your nurse got back to you with some positive news and also that you have had a chat with your Mum and Dad. If your Mum has already been through this she should be a good support to you.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to matter whether or not the results are sinister, it takes the same amount of time for any report whether good or bad, as there has to be this discussion between the MDT team first.

I do hope that you get your results soon. It really is a lot easier when you know what sort of demons you are facing.

Keep in touch.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine,

I have a 29mm cancer in my right breast. I had the reults of the MRI scan and a biopsy and titanium clip into my left breast.  Waiting for resilts of that now. Also am having a CT scan as 2 white spots found on chest wall. Am terrified that cancer has spread to lungs, surgery booked 6th Dec. Trusting in my team to do the best for me. Sending love and positive thoughts to everyone going through this.x

Hi Silverdays,

I am so sorry to hear that you have been smitten by breast cancer too. I am glad to hear that you have had the necessary tests. When are you due to get the results? I note that you still need to have a CT scan. Have you got a date for that yet? I fully understand your worries, and, sincerely hope that you are wrong and that there is no spread to your lungs.

Do you know what type of surgery you are going to have yet, or does it depend on the results you are waiting for?
I am sure that your team will do all in their power to do their very best for you.

Please keep in touch and let us know how your results go. We are always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi,

The CT scan is this Wednesday and they are hoping that the results will be back before my surgery that is booked for 6th Dec. I still have to have underarm Sentinel node scan the day before. I have to make the decision between breast conserving or lumpectomy, but heading towards masectomy as the white spots under the mass showed up on the MRI. And Im waiting for biopsy on other breast, so thats another decision. And then theres the chest wall results which will mean radiotherapy, depending on the CT scan.

Mine is so complex, I will phone one of my nurses today as overwhemed with all the information and the best way to proceed. 

Living in a fog, but hoping for a silver lining.

Thank you for your reply to my rant!

Xx

Hi Silverdays,

You can rant here anytime - we've all done it, so there's nothing that you can't say.

I hope that you can get some clarification from your nurse today, as you cannot really come to any decision until you know exactly what your diagnosis is.

Will they have the results from the biopsy on your other breast back before they go ahead with surgery? You cannot really consider surgery on one breast without knowing what is happening with the other, as your decision might be different if both breasts are affected. Apart from anything else it would be easier to have both breasts operated on at the same time if surgery is needed on both breasts. When I had my double mastectomy, I had both removed together and, this saved me from having to worry about the operation twice and, I only had to go through the healing procedure once.

I can understand your anxiety over the white spots on your chest wall and, hope that the CT scan doesn't show up any further challenges for you there.

I'm definitely hoping for that silver lining for you!

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx