Soft tissue lump

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Hi guys, I’m new here and I don’t know where to turn. I’ve had a lump in my lateral femur above my knee around 2 years and it’s become extremely painful to the point I can barely walk.

my doctor sent me to physiotherapy, the therapist sent me for an mri scan on 1st December after 8 weeks of waiting for a call ‘the following day’ I called him for an update that’s when he referred me for the mri. I called him on the 6th January for my results because I hadn’t heard from him again. He told me and I quote ‘you have a lump in your soft tissue I will refer you for an urgent ultrasound scan’ that was 3 weeks ago. How long is too long to wait for an ultrasound scan?

  • Hi  

    Welcome to our online community and thanks for posting your question. My name is Amy and I am one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists on the Macmillan Support Line.

    We’re sorry to hear you been having issues for for 2 years now. It’s reassuring you are finally getting this investigated but appreciate you are worried about the wait for the ultrasound scan.

    An urgent appointment on the suspected cancer pathway in the NHS is 2 weeks. It would be worth getting back in touch with your physiotherapist to double check this referral has been made and ask how long you are likely to wait. Sometimes contacting the department directly and asking to be put on the cancellation list can help get a quicker appointment.

    If you feel you are waiting an unreasonable amount of time, the next step would be to contact PALS, the Patient Advice and Liaison Service. This is usually located within the hospital. You can search here find your local PALS or check the hospital website directly.

    You could also get in touch with your GP to discuss your concerns regarding the waiting time. They may be able to chase the referral or make a direct access referral for you.

    We often find we can help more by exploring these questions over the phone. If this is something you think would help, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch via our support line on 0808 808 0000. We are available 7 days a week, 8am-8pm.

    I hope this helps.

      

    Best wishes, 

    Amy C, Cancer Information Nurse Specialist  

    Ref: AC/DT