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crispsandwine
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I have multiple symptoms of vaginal cancer, maybe cervical I'm not sure. Bleeding randomly between periods, almost constant pressure and pain in my womb area and more recently a lump. I've been waiting on an ultrasound scan for 6/7 months now and still haven't been moved to the proper waiting list. 

 

Today I was examined at the hospital and told I need a biopsy. My hospital is not doing that procedure just now because of covid so I have been put on a waiting list for another hospital, the doctor has said I will be seen 'at some point in 2021'.

 

I am terrified that potentially waiting up to a whole year for this biopsy could result in any possible cancer being too far along to treat. What on earth do I do? 

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    Hi crisps and wine

    Surely this can't be right???? They can't tell you that you need a biopsy and then say you won't be seen until 2021 sometime. I no that if you need a referral you can request which hospital you get referred to. So it could be an option to call around hospitals near you, see what there time frames are and if you find one that is operating as normal go back to your gp and ask them to refer you to that hospital. Did they put you under the 2 week pathway originally? I've been put under the 2week pathway for the breast clinic and my appointment is on the 2nd December  I've been told all tests and scans etc and a biopsy if needed will be done on that day.

    I'm in Bradford and when I asked my gp she told me cancer services are now operating as normal x

  • Offline in reply to Elou67

    Hi, thanks for your reply.
     

    I am in Scotland so I think it's a different system, no talk of pathways etc. I had a smear, then doctor appointment for bleeding, was referred to hospital, phone appt which then got me referred for ultrasound (which I'm still waiting on 7 months later), then lump appeared so back to gp who referred me to hospital then hospital told me today about the wait for biopsy. The hospital that im on the waiting list for is 1.5hrs away, the next one would be 3hrs away but up here I'm not sure I can choose. Will look into it though! 

  • Offline in reply to crispsandwine

    I just did a quick Google and it says the 2 week pathway doesn't exist in Scotland but from April 2010 if you need to see a specialist urgently you have a legal right to be seen within 2 weeks this is what it says on the NHS website. I'd go back to your gp and really put pressure on them, they cannot tell you that you need a biopsy but you'll have to wait till 2021 sometime, everywhere they keep saying cancer services are now back to normal and running as they should be. If this is suspected as cancer then surely time is of the essence and things need to be done quickly x

  • Offline in reply to Elou67

    Thanks that's really helpful actually! I will give my gp a call, at the hospital today it was just brushed off as 'with covid we just.dont know when there is a huge waiting list' so it maybe will just take some more pushing from me! Thank you 

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