How did you find out you had cancer?

[user87009883]

I was diagnosed with cancer 4 years ago and was told by my consultant just before we went into lockdown.
I was told on my own, I had no one with me it was just the consultant, no macmillan nurse.
I had travelled to my appointment on the bus, a 2 hour bus journey. Felt like the longest journey home after been told.

Recalled after my first mammogram. More scans and a biopsy. Nurse told me 25% of people biopsied were diagnosed with cancer.

Had a face to face appointment for the results, went on my own (I dont like having people with me, I worry about them instead of me). Consultant was very straightforward, gave me the diagnosis and treatment options, then I had a longer discussion session with the breast care nurse.

you are not in the U.K. I take it? ….no patient confidentiality policy would allow this….. I am appalled that a consultant would tell your DH first……. I would have made a complaint …..this is you and your body …..I hope you changed consultants

Yes in the Uk. You’re right, theoretically it’s an absolute no no, definitely breach of confidentiality. But on the other hand I did understand why he did it, and I didn’t feel upset about it at the time (too busy trying to deal with the situation). But it should have been done differently.

I was told by a surgeon who happened to be on the ward after I'd had a colonoscopy. I think it was also by chance that a McMillan nurse was there and she came and had a wee word too. Tbh the MacMillan nurse , who was lovely freaked me out more as it made it feel even more serious.

So I very much hoped you complained and demanded an investigation…it is absolute grounds for disciplinary action

Found out last week - was on my own as dh stuck in traffic! Knew it would be something bad though as they wouldn't give me results over the phone, said I had to come in and see the consultant.

I was told in a video call! We were about to start a new round of IVF but they saw a cyst on the scan the day before I was due to start the meds. They told me it had to be removed because it could be dangerous during a pregnancy. Had it removed, video call follow up where I was completely blindsided by the consultant telling me the cyst was cancerous. This all happened privately and I had many issues transferring back to the NHS, including them downgrading my referral from a 2 week one to an urgent 16 week one. Once they realised they had made a mistake, I had an appointment and surgery within 3 days, followed by more surgery and radiotherapy a couple of months later. All ok now, other than yearly checks for recurrence, but an awfully traumatic experience.

I found a lump in the breast and while filling in the online form for the GP, found another in the armpit. I knew then that the odds had changed. At the mammogram/biopsy appointment the radiologist answered me honestly that it looked like cancer.

The diagnosis appointment came through with a form attached to it, asking me about previous experiences of anaesthesia. That was a clue!

Diagnosis meeting was me, surgeon, husband, breast care nurse. Quite a party for someone getting good news. I didn't get good news.

But I've responded well to treatment and the prognosis is now good.

I was first told by the ENT Consultant who said my enlarged tonsil definitely WASN'T sinister. Got called back early for an appointment so had an inkling, it was just him there and he didn't know anything about the cancer I have. I was put on watch-and-wait and told I'd probably never need treatment.

Three years on and after months of trying to get someone to take gastro symptoms seriously, a surgical registrar sent for for a CT scan as a gut instinct. I had the scan and was immediately ushered into a curtained off area.

Another very nice, very young looking doctor then came and knelt next to the bed- which is never a good sign- and told me ever so gently that I had a 10cm mass stuck to my pelvis.

All my oncology care since has been incredible. Not a whisper from McMillan though!

First time, I was told by a breast consultant, on my own, no nurse present, aged 38. Drove him and cried.

Second time, on my own, with gynae surgeon and specialist nurse present.

Third time, on my own, with gynae surgeon and nurse specialist.

When a 15 x 18cm mass in my abdomen broke my spine. It's I'd been back and forth to the doctor for a year with abdominal pain and bloating, who eventually sent me for an ultrasound. the person doing the ultrasound told me that she couldn't see my right ovary because of bowel gas and that I'd need to repeat the scan in a few months, only it wasn't gas, unless gas can snap your spine 3 weeks later.
The pain was hideous

Initially told on my own and I asked to tell my (then) husband on my own so the consultant ushered him in and left. Needn’t have bothered thinking he might be upset as not one reassuring word passed his lips. Not even a cuddle. His excuse was as it had always been that he isn’t good with looking after ill people.
When it progressed and I was told it had spread to my lungs five years after the initial diagnosis I was told by different consultant with a nurse specialist sat in the room. I asked the consultant if I was going to die and he said not within the next 12 months. By this time husband was now ex after running off with my best friend so I was on my own. Drove home rather bewildered. Nobody I felt I could tell. I don’t have any family. Not my best day.

@Blackcats7 That is an utterly sad read. How are you getting on at the moment?

@Enigma52 well still here doing the best I can like us all. Thank goodness for my lovely cat. And I have a great friend who sadly has cancer too so we get where each other is coming from.
We enjoy some dark humour. Apologies if this upsets anybody.
Yesterday I asked my friend if she had seen the Netflix show called Is it Cake? The concept is that talented cake decorators make cakes to look like very realistic everyday objects and then the game is for contestants to look at a row of three identical objects (two real and one cake) and spot which one is cake.
My suggestion was to market a similar show called Is it Cancer? People could display their lumps and the contestants could make their guess before a big reveal by a handsome showbizzy type doctor.
My friend thinks Netflix is not ready for it yet. But you never know, I could make millions.

I had a letter in the post saying "I'm sorry but the results from your biopsy were not as expected". It turned out I had malignant melanoma!

@Blackcats7 Not offended at all. My humour is getting dryer and darker by the day. I have secondary breast cancer to my lung and no one in my life gets it, no one. Only those on here.

I'm sorry to hear of your friend, but glad you have each other.

@Blackcats7 given that most of us are going to hit by this disease, at some point in life, I'd say bring on the new Netflix show!

Popping in to support the Netflix show.

I found a lump in my breast. Thought it was a cyst as it seemed to appear overnight. Felt big very quickly. Want to the GP. And they found another larger one in the same breast. I completely missed that ! The worst was I live in a different country and I'm not yet fluent so communication was so difficult and I didn't fully understand what was planned or happening so literally had to have blind faith

Thankfully health care here is brilliant and treatment rapid

Midway through chemo. Getting good results. Surgery soon

Not feeling bad at all. Life is normal bar wearing a wig

Referred for a colonoscopy by GP who stopped me before I got to the door to say “oh, be aware that I’m referring you on the 2ww so everything will say cancer referral but less than 4% chance it is”.

Alone while still recovering from the sedation post colonoscopy, the Dr came into my cubicle and said “We’ve found what looks like a small malignant tumour, will biopsy for testing & have you CT & MRI scanned to confirm”. I quite cheerfully asked “And if it’s not malignant?” At which point she ummed and ahh’d before saying “Well I’d say I’m pretty sure it is”

Friend who picked me up said I didn’t break it to her very gently! I had actually told loads of people at work I was going to have the procedure as I really assumed they’d tell me IBS or diverticulitis so I then had the fun job of telling them all it was cancer - I learned then that you can be as positive as you like about your prognosis but some people will still react badly to the c word.

Had surgery to remove with some follow ip radiotherapy and am now just on surveillance.

I woke up one morning with shortness of breath and facial swelling. I took the kids to school and walked into my GP surgery and the receptionist tried to fob me off, so I said I am going to sit here until you get me a doctor because something is very wrong. GP agreed and sent me to A&E. My dad gave me a lift and dropped me off.

I was told most likely hayfever but I pushed and pushed and eventually one of the doctors said she didn’t like my oxygen sats so sent me for an X-ray and then I sat back in the waiting room.

I knew it was bad when she called me back in. I just saw how her face had changed. She told me that I had a large mass inside my mediastinum that was most likely cancer. I was sent for a CT scan where it was confirmed that the mass was pressing on my superior vena cava and that’s why my face looked huge.

That was the start of it all. Told on my own. Eventually taken up to a ward 16 hours after I’d presented to A&E. The ward where I’d watched my mum die of stomach cancer 15 months earlier.

@ashitghost , I am so impressed with you for insisting and refusing to be fobbed off. I do hope you're doing OK now. The thing about the ward must have been so, so hard for you.

Friends like yours are precious hard to find. I hope you’re okay and your friend has pulled through.

At 43 I had my first mammogram as part of a 360 health check offered as a benefit as part of my work (I had just joined a large multinational company the year before).

The mammogram showed I had three very small lumps that were otherwise undetectable by touch, either by me or the oncologist who later tried to check for them in a breast exam. An ultrasound guided biopsy showed it was indeed breast cancer in three separate places in my left breast, so I had a mastectomy with a DIEP flap reconstruction ~1 month after the biopsy results came in.

It was stage 2 when they caught it, so it was ‘lucky’ in the sense that I wouldn’t otherwise have been offered a routine mammogram check by the NHS until I was 50, as I had no risk factors, family history or signs/symptoms.

I’m now 51 and unfortunately the breast cancer has recurred and I’m now stage 4, but I’m glad it was caught early before. It could have been a very different outcome if I’d not had a mammogram at 43, as I might have detected the lumps much later on.