Worried about gastroscopy results

Hi

I can understand that this is an anxious time, as uncertainty is the hardest thing to deal with!  It might be worth contacting the consultant who is going to do the endoscopy and ask why it’s being done. I am not sure of the difference between an endoscopy and a gastroscopy ?  
I think it would be helpful to understand and get more information.

Good luck!

Thanks for replying Jac,

Ah so what I mean is I have already had the gastroscopy (being an endoscopy through the mouth to view the stomach) - it was to check for gastric cancer after an h pylori infection and intermittent abdominal pain which persisted after the h pylori was cleared by medication.

Straight after it I was told (and the report says) no evidence of cancer, so remove me from the cancer fast track, back to GP care. The diagnosis was mild non-erosive gastritis, biopsies taken as routine precaution.

Big big relief!

But now I learn they wish to see me again and this is worrying me massively because the NHS gastroscopy info says that biopsy results can take up to 2 months "but if cancer is suspected you will hear within 2 weeks"

My follow up appointment is within 2 weeks (!!) so I'm worried this indicates that the biopsy results are probably bad news.         

Hope I'm overthinking it but the NHS info does say that about the time for biopsy results and so I can't help wondering why I have a follow up appointment within 2 weeks unless the biopsy does indicate cancer?    

Michael

Hi Michael, like Jac always wisely says, it’s an anxious time and your mind will be in overdrive running around in all different directions and outcomes - none of which are probably helpful to you right now !

I really would not overthink this … essentially 

1) you got scoped and they didn’t see anything sinister and told you so on the day.

- In my experience and from others on this journey I know, the consultants can and do spot it on the scope and then get it confirmed via the biopsies. You were told there was nothing so the likelihood is there isn’t else the experts who look for an md identify this everyday would’ve seen something they didn’t like.

2) The NHS says can take up to 2 months for results 

- I think this is just to set and manage expectations that with back logs etc it isn’t a rapid process. Your local unit sounds like it’s running to time and turning results around in the aspirational and desired 2 week turnaround.

My check ups at Royal Marsden give me the results the same day I’m scoped or scanned - but that hasn’t meant I’ve got it, they’re just fast at turning it around on my regular checkups.

Try not to overthink it and take comfort that the expert who are trained to spot this stuff, didn’t and confirmed that to you on the day.

Hope it helps …

Hi Red10,

Thank you that's really helpful.

You're right that working myself into a frenzy of worry when I have no concrete info is not that productive. Plus I don't really know how the NHS works for these things so I'm more speculating than deducing.

I guess it comes down to this one question running around my head - why do they want to see me again when the feedback and report on the day of the scope was "no cancer seen, mild gastritis, referred back to GP care" ??

I keep asking myself that and answering with "concerning biopsy results".

Good advice anyway - I'll try and compartmentalize the worry and get on with things as normal. It's only a few days to the appointment so I'll soon find out.     

Thanks again, Michael