Would the NHS send a letter diagnosing cancer?

[em2001ily]

So if tests were done and the test results indicated that cancer is likely present, would the NHS letter actually state that, or would it just say 'make an appointment'?

I am asking this on behalf of a friend.

Thank you.

Even early in the pandemic, my family member was told on a zoom call. They need to make sure the information is understood and the person understands their options and the advice being given, and also signpost them to support (Macmillan etc) so they will break the news at least on the phone but nowadays more likely in person.

Such letters/scans should be blocked from patient access only, until manually released by the treating team/gp. Occasionally you hear stories where this block unfortunately hasn't worked

In most cases, yes. But she may already have been for an appointment and the letter was just confirmation and pointers to further resources.

A letter popped up on my app addressed to my GP informing him - and me because I was able to read it - that I had been diagnosed with a clinoid meningioma (a sort of brain tumour) a month before anyone at the hospital got round to talking to me about it in person.

That's a terrible breach of the data protocol. I hope you're ok.

I am waiting for results at the moment and fully plan on stalking the nhs app to see if anything pops up after their group meeting to discuss the week's cases. The consultant said they will call after the weekend, so no way I will be waiting that long if there is a chance of the app telling me something first.

I know this is a terrible idea and might not be on there. Even if it is, I could easily misinterpret the results and either be falsely reassured or doomed. But I do not have the willpower to wait of there is a possibility I can find out sooner. They probably should block until after the conversation really!

I was told by letter that I had cancer. This was during the pandemic.

The way I was treated then was disgusting and I'll never forgive them.

After an MRI my gynaecologist’s secretary phoned me and said I was being referred to a gynaecological oncologist, I knew then I had cancer. I’m in Ireland.

I was informed face to face with a consultant. It was during Covid times and with hindsight I can see my consultant went to great lengths to get me into hospital to see him to discuss (because we didn't have cancer on our radar, so was a 'WTF' moment).

Everyone I know (I hang about with lots of cancer patients!) was informed face to face. Some 'knew' it was very likely to be told they have cancer but it was still face to face. There's alot of cancer admin to get through!

I would want to be informed in advance about the nature of the appointment so that I could think about pertinent questions in advance and not within minutes of a disappointing result. I would ask why the appointment was being scheduled and would refuse to attend without the full facts.

In fact once after a biopsy I was notified that an appointment was being made to discuss my treatment plan. I asked to have a copy of the results prior to the appointment and they refused. I asked why and was told "patients don't understand the results letters. I dug in my heels and insisted. The letter said BENIGN. I was shocked that an administrator had thought it was appropriate to tell I needed an appointment to discuss a treatment plan. There was no need for any treatment. It was utterly disgraceful.

I took the letter to a private dermatologist and they agreed with me.

When things like that happen, it's difficult to comprehend how the NHS can assert it has too few resources.

My dad was told at an appointment following tests, mum was told on the phone, my friend received a phone call asking her to come in to the oncology department tomorrow and to bring someone with her (so obviously she knew it was cancer from that call).

All the best to your friend, OP.

I am a cancer nurse and unfortunately I have seen the odd sketchy letter telling someone there is a cancer or suspicious for cancer- its not unheard of.

If your friend wants you to know what's in the letter, she'll tell you when she's ready. I hope she's OK.

I work in NHS outpatients. If a patient has a cancer diagnosis they are asked to come back in. Never told over phone or letter.

I don’t see why results shouldn’t be communicated by letter either way. It seems to me there’s a lot of unnecessary pussyfooting around cancer - and being told to talk to your doctor/being given a follow-up appointment doesn’t not worry people. I tend to feel it’s information about the patient and the patient therefore has a right to see it at the earliest opportunity

The problem is that to get an appointment to speak to a GP or anyone medical can be at least 3 weeks. You are sitting there with a diagnosis and nobody to interpret it or give you a prognosis.

Fingers crossed for you.

Exactly, that's why I'm not asking her about it. But I was concerned and so I just wanted to ask on here.

That's poor.

I have heard that test results can be communicated in a letter - the NHS website and the GP practice close to me say that results can be sent in the post - but I thought an actual diagnosis would always be done in person. Even if the test results themselves did suggest cancer.

What should happen and what actually does can, of course, vary. My father was admitted to hospital due to difficulty urinating. He'd had a range of tests, then in the evening a nurse arrived with medication. My father asked what it was for, and he was told it was to treat his cancer. Which I can't imagine is how he should have found out, especially as the nurse was completely unable to answer the obvious barrage of questions this raised. It was prostate cancer, and is now under control.

She’s likely had the call / appt already.

@whoateallthecookies That's awful, I'm glad your dad is going ok though.

I'm genuinely shocked at all "I shouldn't have found out like that, but did" stories on here. I thought they were rarer than this....

Not true. I was told by letter and I still have it to prove it.

I'm sorry, was it a mistake? Did you receive an apology?

My friend was promised a call, either way, and actually what she got was a welcome pack for the local specialist cancer hospital. On a Friday - noticed it when she got home from work couldn’t even call them, and it was to go in on the Monday for an appointment. So it resulted in a rather panicky stressful weekend.

Letter didn’t state diagnosis but it was clear it was a positive result from the nature of the info pack. And the fact that they only treat cancer at that hospital.

Basically when it was mentioned the local hospital and the specialist hospital both blamed the other. Lack of communication. I don’t think that’s common though.

Friend is still here - and she’s going well now (though has had the full shebang of treatments). The care was very good.

No it wasn't a mistake. I wasn't offered an appointment to discuss it either. I've posted on here about it before under a different username.

The next I heard from 'them' was when I received a letter for a pre op. No one had spoken to me at this point to tell me I had cancer. It was utterly horrific behaviour, all blamed on the pandemic and swept under the carpet.