Handhold please, scan results testicular lump

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My DH had a scan for a lump in his testicle 10 days ago. The doctors reception has just phoned saying they have the results and the doctor will phone him to discuss them on Thursday.

I'm really scared. If it was nothing to worry about surely the receptionist could have just said so? Has anyone been through this? I struggle with anxiety anyway. My poor DH says he's not worried but I think he's just trying to calm me down. I'm meant to be the one supporting him.

YABU - they call regardless
YANBU - they've probably found something

I have no knowledge of this area specifically, but generally, if it was urgent they’d be seeing him today, not on Thursday. I’d hold on to that.

Best of luck to you both x

If the scan was 10 days ago and there was something to worry about you would have definitely been told so by now. He’d have an urgent urology referral and would have had a specialist appointment under the 2 week rule.

I scan testes as part of my job (sonographer), could be a cyst, hydrocoele, varicocoele, sperm granuloma, all of which are benign causes to lumps in the scrotum

Yes agree with the other posters, normally if there was something sinister to worry about you would have heard by now. A friend of mine had a varicocele that had to be operated on but he's fine now. He was in his 40s.

Thank you so much for posting that's really put my mind at rest.

All testicular ultrasounds should be performed within 2 weeks of being requested by GP, they are all a fast track service. The scan results should go back to GP within 24 hours, generally they go back overnight. If it was something serious that needed urgent attention your dp would have been called in sooner to see GP.

My dh had testicular cancer in 2012. He had a scan on the Friday, a hospital appointment on the next Tuesday and an op on the Thursday. All done and dusted within the week. They don't mess about with it as it's a cancer that is eminently curable. DH had just the op and no further treatment.

I am not an expert but in my experience they are extremely efficient at dealing with testicular cancer so I would hope the delay you're seeing means that it's nothing to worry about. However I would also say that if there is anything they're concerned about the treatment is effective and prognosis is good in my experience.

I’m going to echo allll the other posters just for your reassurance OP because I can imagine how freaked out you must be!

I’ve known 3 people with cancer. All of them received scan results pointing to cancer the same day or the following day at the absolute maximum.

I would imagine they are calling because they have found something like a benign cyst

Just to echo others...

Radiographers know what they’re looking at: they may not be the ones who write the scan reports and they may not be doctors and consultants but generally, they know when to be concerned and when not to be when it comes to looking at the images appearing before them.

In the capacity of my job, if a scan was done for something potentially worrisome, even as an outpatient, the radiographers would call the doctors immediately to get them to come to the department and look at the images whilst the patient was still being scanned.

On a few occasions where an image has suggested cancer, the patient is told the same day and treatment starts within a week, as a poster above said.

If it was cancer, Im sure it would have warranted much more than just a casual call from the receptionist.

When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, my phone call appointment for the results got turned into an in person one.

I can’t imagine news like that is given over the phone unless absolutely necessary.

Scan results are usually received quite quickly (the next day). If the lump was suspicious for cancer the call would have happened a lot quicker in my experience.

The receptionist can't "read" the results she probably just received an acknowledgement that they are back and has booked you a doctor for Thursday so he or she can confirm okay xx

I work in this sector (ultrasound). If it was something very concerning it would have been emailed across urgently and you would be seen within 24 hours. Not a phone call either. Either way a receptionist would never give you the results of an ultrasound scan.

Try not to panic ( I know it's hard) . It's very common for men to have lumps and bumps there and 9 times out of 10 nothing to worry about.

Admittedly this was 18 years ago but my then boyfriend went to GP with testicular lump on a Thursday morning, scan Thursday afternoon, op to remove the cancer Friday. If it was serious the GP would be on the phone ASAP so try not to worry, difficult I know x

Thank you all so much for posting. I was in tears before thinking the worst.

Similar experience to pp here too - gp appt on Friday, sent straight to hospital for a check, ultrasound on Sunday, op on Friday.

In a follow-up appointment the oncologist told us that if it was bad news it would have got to his inbox before we made it back upstairs to his office after the scan.

There are many things that can necessitate a scan, a torsion or cancer require immediate (or certainly within 10 days) follow up, treatment plan and potential surgery.