posted by just_me
14 August 2020
My appointment
Last reply:
17 August 2020 15:55
Hi
St Vincent's in Dublin called me to say my appointment is scheduled for next week. ( my gp sent in a referral)
I was suprised to hear from them so soon so I didnt properly take in all the info the really nice lady gave me.
She said i will be there for three to four hours and if i need a biopsy they will tell me the following week? Is that how it normally works and does everyone usually have a biopsy regardless of their diagnosis.
Thanks so much in advance x
Hi just_me,
Thanks for posting. When a doctor refers a patient to the breast service there are guidelines in place from the National cancer control programme (NCCP) as to when a patient must be seen, for example if a patient aged over 35 has a lump, they should be seen within two weeks. Many women are surprised when they hear so soon from the clinic.
At the breast clinic, you will be examined by a doctor. They may send you for an ultrasound and a mammogram. Depending on their examination and the test results they may decide to do a biopsy, this can be very worrying but thankfully most biopsies come back as non-cancerous. Not everyone needs to have a biopsy done, this is because the doctors are able to tell from scans that the lump may be caused by a benign condition such as a cyst. If a biopsy is done, it usually takes about two weeks for the results to come back.
If you would like to speak with a cancer nurse about your situation, if you have any questions at all or are worried, please call us on 1800 200 700. We are available 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday.
Kind regards,
Cancer nurse