Why are we waiting so long for Biopsy results? (ENT)

Shannie76
Shannie76 Member Posts: 8
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
It was Aug 2011 when I noticed 2 lumps on my husbands neck his Submandibular Gland was the size of an egg & his salivery gland was also swollen. He went to the Doctor who sent him for an ultra sound and when our GP wasn't satisified with the results he sent my husband to the Head & Neck (ENT) specialist. In Dec 2011 he had a FNA with inclusive results come back so the ENT dr did a second FNA with the same type of results. It was then that he scheduled my husband in for an open biopsy(incision). They did find that whatever this is it has attached itself to his jugular vein, which cannot be good. This was done Jan 27th and on Feb 7th we got a call from the ENT dr saying he had sent the biopsy to Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto Canada.

Mind you the lumps had gone down after surgery but now they have grown quite large again & I am scared, upset and angry that we have heard nothing, it is now Feb 22 and to date we have heard nothing. I am so scared for him. He is 49yrs old he is tired all the time, has a lot of headaches, constantly clearing his throat and generally just doesn't feel well. Now Ihave noticed another lump growing on his eyebrow & close to his ear. I hope they get back to us soon and does anyone know why the dr would send his Biopsy down to Sunnybrook instead of the lab in the Southlake hospital?

Thank You for lreading

Comments

  • Jennjallen67
    Jennjallen67 Member Posts: 22
    #2
    Bug the Docs
    Call every day for the results. Sometimes it the only way. I'm not sure where your located, maybe they have a better lab at the other hospital. My husband noticed a lump in his neck on Jan 1st 2012, it took until Jan 27 until they did a biopsy. The longest we waited for results was one week.However,it did seem we need to see one more doctor each week. My husbands treatment just started yesterday. Good luck and welcome. There is a lot of good information here. go to the Superthread on the main page. A lot of your questions may be answered there.

    Jenn
  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #3
    Outside pathology
    These commments hold true whether you live in the US or Canada. The local pathologist already has issued a diagnosis. The slides have been sent off for review by a center with more experience at whatever they are looking at. The call from the ENT could have included a discussion of what they were thinking and what exactly they were waiting on. It was a choice the ENT apparently made to not share this with you.

    I'm sorry to be so blunt, but your suspicions are correct. This will not be a benign diagnosis, or they would have already told you so. The wait is unacceptable to learn what all of this means. This discussion could have already been held with you in order to at least get you off the hot seat.

    As hard as all this is, I'd be insisting to know the provisional diagnosis right now. That implies this ENT unbend just a bit and accomodate you. I don't know your system well enough to know what I'd do in your shoes. In mine, I'd walk in to the office and quietly assert my right.

    My best wishes for you two. This delay is, IMO, about as ridiculous as anything I've heard of here lately.


    Pat
  • timreichhart
    timreichhart Member Posts: 194
    #4
    longtermsurvivor said:

    Outside pathology
    These commments hold true whether you live in the US or Canada. The local pathologist already has issued a diagnosis. The slides have been sent off for review by a center with more experience at whatever they are looking at. The call from the ENT could have included a discussion of what they were thinking and what exactly they were waiting on. It was a choice the ENT apparently made to not share this with you.

    I'm sorry to be so blunt, but your suspicions are correct. This will not be a benign diagnosis, or they would have already told you so. The wait is unacceptable to learn what all of this means. This discussion could have already been held with you in order to at least get you off the hot seat.

    As hard as all this is, I'd be insisting to know the provisional diagnosis right now. That implies this ENT unbend just a bit and accomodate you. I don't know your system well enough to know what I'd do in your shoes. In mine, I'd walk in to the office and quietly assert my right.

    My best wishes for you two. This delay is, IMO, about as ridiculous as anything I've heard of here lately.


    Pat

    They might have sent it to the mayoclinic
    Just give you a heads up when they did a biopsy from my lymph node in the neck they did in house pathology then they also sent a sample to the mayoclinic in MN for second look to see what kind of cancer I had.
  • Shannie76
    Shannie76 Member Posts: 8
    #5
    Thank You
    Thank You so much for all of your responses and so quickly. We live in Canada just north of Toronto. We will take your advice today & get on it asap. Ill keep you all posted as to what if find. Thank You


    We got the call this morning, we are to go in Monday to get my husbands results. The ENT dr is away for the weekend, still hate waiting but at least we will know what is going on.
  • Shannie76
    Shannie76 Member Posts: 8
    #6
    longtermsurvivor said:

    Outside pathology
    These commments hold true whether you live in the US or Canada. The local pathologist already has issued a diagnosis. The slides have been sent off for review by a center with more experience at whatever they are looking at. The call from the ENT could have included a discussion of what they were thinking and what exactly they were waiting on. It was a choice the ENT apparently made to not share this with you.

    I'm sorry to be so blunt, but your suspicions are correct. This will not be a benign diagnosis, or they would have already told you so. The wait is unacceptable to learn what all of this means. This discussion could have already been held with you in order to at least get you off the hot seat.

    As hard as all this is, I'd be insisting to know the provisional diagnosis right now. That implies this ENT unbend just a bit and accomodate you. I don't know your system well enough to know what I'd do in your shoes. In mine, I'd walk in to the office and quietly assert my right.

    My best wishes for you two. This delay is, IMO, about as ridiculous as anything I've heard of here lately.


    Pat

    Got the results this AM
    Thank you for your advice & today we got the results of NON HODGKIN'S LYMPHOMA B Cell.... idk what that means but I do intend to find out.

    Next week we are off to the Oncologist.... he took it better than I did, but yet it sounds like it is going tobe quite the journey. Now its time for me to figure out exactly what this is & do we tell our 5 children???

    Thanks
    Shannon
  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #7
    Shannie76 said:

    Got the results this AM
    Thank you for your advice & today we got the results of NON HODGKIN'S LYMPHOMA B Cell.... idk what that means but I do intend to find out.

    Next week we are off to the Oncologist.... he took it better than I did, but yet it sounds like it is going tobe quite the journey. Now its time for me to figure out exactly what this is & do we tell our 5 children???

    Thanks
    Shannon

    Here's a sneak preview
    Considering the many possibilities, you may just have lucked out. At least this is a treatable disease. Please come back and update. There is a special board for you guys as well here on CSN. Best of luck to the two of you, and keep the faith.

    Pat
  • Roselvr
    Roselvr Member Posts: 30
    #8
    Shannie76 said:

    Thank You
    Thank You so much for all of your responses and so quickly. We live in Canada just north of Toronto. We will take your advice today & get on it asap. Ill keep you all posted as to what if find. Thank You


    We got the call this morning, we are to go in Monday to get my husbands results. The ENT dr is away for the weekend, still hate waiting but at least we will know what is going on.

    Are you able to go to a
    Are you able to go to a larger place for treatment? Sounds like you need to find a large university type hospital. I'm not sure what you're able to do in Canada.

    You should find a message board for non hodgkins

    Good luck

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