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Told results would be over phone, had letter to go to clinic

Mumof4boys
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Hi, I had a scan and a biopsy last Thursday after going to the breast clinic with pain in one breast,  I have a fibroadenoma which has been there for 20 years since I was 13, and was told it could be more of those, but they wanted to biopsy to be sure... I was asked if I'd like results over the phone, to which I agreed, as I have 4 young boys, so it is difficult for me to get to the clinic. However, today I received a letter saying that an appointment has been made for me to go in on Friday and I am now panicking that it is bad news.  Has anyone else been in this situation? Would they give bad news over the phone? Or call me to clinic if all was ok? 

I am absolutely terrified, I keep looking at my boys and breaking down,  they are only 7, 5, 2 and 6 weeks. I have tried phoning the clinic, but it just goes to answer phone, I have left a message, but nobody gets back to me. 

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    Hi Mumof4boys. Welcome to the forum.

     

    I've been on this forum for nearly 10 years. In that time I've read numerous stories of people being told that the results will come in a letter, but they get a phone call; or being told they'll get a phone call, but they get an appointment; and plenty of other stories where a patient is told one thing, only for something different to happen - and as a result the patient is unnecessarily worried.  

     

    There are many consultants who prefer to give results, whether good or bad, in a face to face meeting, since it allows the patient to ask further questions.  Even when the result is not cancer, it may still be a condition that requires further treatment - for example a benign lump may need surgery, and all this can be best explained face to face. 

     

    Sometimes appointment dates are set even before the results are known, which given the short time span between your biopsy and receiving the letter might be what happened in your case.  I recall having a biopsy on a Thursday and getting an appointment letter on the following Tuesday - obviously too short a time for the results to be known. 

     

    There could be any number of reasons why you've been called in, and while it's worrying, you can't just assume that it's bad news.  It's quite possible that there was a cancellation and your name was the one pulled out of the hat. 

     

    Please try not to look on the dark side.  It might not be as bad as you fear. 

     

  • Offline in reply to telemando

    Hi

    i too was told I would receive the results of my biopsy by phone and have today received a letter for an appointment, 4 weeks from now.

    It feels like a long wait for a short answer if the biopsy reveals nothing carcinogenic but a further review being wise.

    it feels even longer to be told treatment for cancer should be as soon as possible. 
    t /calls with bad news can't be easy and face to face does provide a better patient care, but would it be better still if unnecessary anxiety were avoided by taking less than 2 mins to say

    1- the biopsy shows nothing sinister but we'd like to see you for questions about what is the matter.

    2-,we'd like to see you as soon as possible we fear the results have shown there needs urgent progress with the treatment of your condition. We know you will have lots of questions so a face to face would be better all round. 

     

     

  • Offline in reply to Forth

    Hi Forth. Welcome to the forum.

    You didn't say what part of you was biopsied!  I have to agree with everything you wrote; I'm not a doctor but it does seem to me that four weeks is a long time to wait if it's cancer.  Let's hope it's something less serious but which needs a face to face discussion - but that is just a guess.

    Depending upon where you live, your GP may have access to your biopsy results.  It might be worth phoning the surgery to see if the results are available, and if so, ask if you can have a phone chat with your GP.  The results themselves will be in medical jargon, and it's easy for a layperson to mistake some minor or benign observation with a long Latin name for something more serious - that why I recommend going through it with your GP.

  • Offline

    Mine was a different biopsy last year.

    Biopsy of womb lining.

    I was given an appointment for 2 weeks after the biopsies were taken for the results but I was rang on the friday of the same week to go in on the monday. You can guess what sort of weekend I had. Monday came and was in a right state, in tears as I waited in the waiting room. I finally got called in and was told my biopsies were fine and they got me in to tell mt they were going to do a camera test to be 100% sure I was ok...........

    WHY do they do this? The things that went through my head that weekend!

    Good luck on your appointment.

  • Offline in reply to telemando

    Hi

    thanks for the welcome.

    my biopsy was on my tongue.

    when I got the letter and saw the only content was the appointment and advise about attending, I called my GP. They said they were expecting a call too. They advised I call the hospital, which I did, who said the surgeon wasn't in and there were no other clinic dates before mid January. I  wasn't asking for an appointment !
    but I'm going to call again tomorrow and ask if there's a specialist nurse or some other clinician who can let me know if I can relax over Christmas or get my questions ( and family) prepared for a new year.

     

  • Offline in reply to Forth

    Hi Forth

    It seems like you have all the bases covered. Please keep us posted with any results you care to share.  Hope you have a good Xmas. 

  • Offline in reply to Forth

    PS

    good luck mumof4 I will be thinking of you tomorrow 

  • Offline in reply to telemando

    had a breast  tissue vaccum needle biopsy . Its only 12 days since now the consultant has given me an appointment  . I am 48 , have children . Its very scary. Why cant the consultant just tell me over the phone  ? Not asked to bring my partner though...

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    My daughter has had a benign lump on her breast and has had this for 6 years last week she was referred to the breast clinic where she had a scan and three biopsies taken she was told she was given a telephone appointment for the results which is Friday morning but they have called her three times whilst she was at college to say it's been switched to a face t face appointment for Monday due to clinic issues ? She like you is very worried on what to expect  here's hoping it's good news for both of you 

  • Offline in reply to debs1809123

    Hello. 

    Thankfully mine turned out to be a mix up, I should have got the results over the phone, but they forgot to phone and sent a letter instead. 

    I was in a right state, and kept phoning until I got through, they did give me the results over the phone in the end, and it was all fine.

    I hope everything is OK for your daughter. 

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