Head and neck cancer

Former Member over 3 years ago

1 reply
43 subscribers
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Hello there, a brief history for me is last august I had a problem with my voice which I attributed to a covid infection in June

There was no soreness or swelling and my gp diagnosed laryngitis. After a month I returned to the gp who diagnosed nasal drip and I was given medication

As Christmas approached and there was no improvement I again returned to the gp to ask for a camera to view my throat, she agreed with me and has I had a history of breast cancer, fast tracked me to ent

I saw the consultant on 21/12 who referred me for an urgent ct scan, unfortunately because of the festive season everything took so much longer The ent consultant said my vocal chords were paralyzed in the open position and he could feel a concerning mass on the right of neck

I have had an ultrasound and biopsy but no results yet. As you can imagine eight weeks with no treatment has been unbearable and has played havoc with my physical and mental health

Do you think this is a reasonable time to wait and can you suggest anything that I could do to improve the situation?

Thank you for your time Anne

Fiona P - Macmillan over 3 years ago

Hi Anne

Thanks for getting in touch and welcome to the Macmillan online community. I see that you are a member of a couple of our forums. I hope you are finding them supportive.

I’m sorry to read that you are having a long wait for your test results. Waiting for test results can cause a lot of anxiety and it is understandable that this has been having an impact on your physical and mental health. We offer different ways to help with how you’re feeling.

Within the UK there are targets for maximum waiting times to be diagnosed and start cancer treatment. Cancer waiting times can vary from individual to individual depending on the type of cancer and the type of treatment that is required.

NHS England has introduced a new target called the Faster Diagnosis Standard, which means that you should not wait more than 28 days from referral to finding out whether you have cancer or not.

Wherever you live in the UK, if you are referred to a specialist, you should not have to wait longer than 62 days from the referral before starting treatment.

Waiting for treatment can be difficult. I would recommend that you discuss your concerns about the waiting time for getting your results directly with your consultant.

If you're not happy with an NHS service, you can make a complaint. You may want to contact the hospital’s PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service) team to discuss this further. They are there to offer confidential advice, support, and information. This doesn’t have to lead to a formal complaint if you don’t wish to do this. But they can listen and help resolve concerns or problems that you have.

I hope this information helps. Please feel free to get back in touch if you want more information or support.

Best wishes,

Fiona M,

Cancer Information Nurse Specialist

You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email.

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Head and neck cancer