Hi everyone! Lots of well wishes to you all on your big C journey. I'm here because I've just had (3 days ago) a wide local excision of a very scary looking (abcde rule positive for all 5 rules) lesion that a dermatologist and a gynaecological oncologist suspect to be vulvar mucosal melanoma. The wide local excision also removed a further 6 lesions, albeit less scary looking (still abcde positive for these 6 too though), that were very close to the main lesion. I've a long list of other symptoms too, not just those 7 lesions. So I'm here obviously because I'm terrified having looked up this specific big C and realising it's rather ruthless to say the least, but mainly because I've just received a message on my NHS app, confirming my follow up appointment with my gynaecological oncologist, for August 12th; 3 weeks today. My mind is racing wondering does the confirmed appointment mean that the results are in, and 3 weeks doesn't seem too urgent so does that indicate good news? Or is this standard and the results won't be in yet they'll be just expected to be back ready to give me to me, come 3 weeks time? It's only been 4 days since they cut it all out, is that enough time to be added to the queue of samples awaiting testing and to be all done and dusted with testing? I'm trying to convince myself the results are in, they're positive, and they're not rushing to let me know. Surely 4 days post op is too soon for testing results MDT report to oncologist to all be completed? Am I setting myself up for a big shock if that's not how these things work? Please thanks any advide.
Hi Rayner89xoxo and welcome
I see that you have joined the vulva cancer group, and that will be a good place to connect with others who have shared similar experiences.
I don’t think you can necessarily read anything into the timings of appointments-some are made automatically on the basis that there will be a need to inform patients about results. It doesn’t mean the news is potentially good or bad and I’ve had many appointments over the past few years which have delivered good and not so good news.
Your procedure is very recent so normally there is a wait for the analysis at the lab to be completed, and this is followed by the mdt meeting where results for different patients are discussed and a decision made on what will happen next.
It could be that the appointment has been made taking into account the usual time for results to come back, and the team of medical professionals to have met and discussed them. 3 days ago means it has been over a weekend, so it’s too early to expect them to be back yet.
Please try not to over think things-I know how anxious the waiting time is, but things don’t often move with lightning speed!
Sarah xx
