Hi
I am newly diagnosed with anal cancer that has spread to my lymph nodes and possibly my lung ( they don’t know if it’secondary in my lung or a primary)
my question is how long did people wait to start treatment? I had my biopsy on the 11th Sept and after chasing and being diagnosed by post I finally have an oncologist appointment on the 10th Nov, is this normal and how long did people wait to start treatment after appointment?
I am so stressed my husband has Myeloma and is currently on chemo and my Mum has just been diagnosed with bowel cancer you couldn’t write it we are under the same oncologist!
Hi ,
First I’d like to welcome you to the Macmillan online community although I’m sorry that you’ve had the need to find us. I’m also sorry that along with your own diagnosis that your family are also going through their own battles with this awful disease.
Ok so regarding your question about timelines, I was diagnosed in February 2018 & things moved very quickly for me to be honest but having said that there wasn’t the issue of pandemic back then! My treatment plan took a slightly different track to most but if you click on my username you should be able to read a little about my journey there. At my first oncologist appointment the treatment was explained fully, I had to sign consent forms to go ahead & appointments were made for me to attend treatment planning scans where they take measurements for the radiotherapy machine & do your tattoos for lining you up on the machine also. I began treatment 2 weeks after that so as I say things moved pretty quickly.
2 months from diagnosis to your first oncology appointment, considering that you’ve chased this up too, does seem a bit of a wait to be fair & I think we can thank Covid for that! & don’t even get me started about diagnosis via post, this is horrendous, ok I can understand that if possible hospital visits be kept to a minimum at the moment but a phone call at least with something so devastating as a cancer diagnosis isn’t much to ask is it? It’s all over the media about cancers going undiagnosed as people are reluctant in coming forward when they have worries due to the whole Covid situation but that doesn’t apply to people like yourself that have done everything you should, have had a diagnosis but are still having to wait so long to be treated or even seen by oncology to discuss treatment, it’s just not good enough!
Aside from the stress of knowing your own diagnosis & the worry surrounding your husband & mum the waiting must be agonising for you. I’m sure you’ve tried everything already but I can only suggest a phone call to your oncologists secretary to see if there’s any chance of that appointment being brought forward see if that would do any good? Don’t be afraid to explain your situation with your family & what you’re dealing with at home either. I hope something can be done so that you’re seen sooner.
Thinking of you.
Nicola
