Suspect lump investigations, want results in private, advice please.

[fakenamefornow]

Have a breast lump, not been to GP or done anything yet because one thing terrifies me. Can anyone please advise. If I am to get a cancer diagnosis, I want to receive the news in private at home, on my own. Email would be perfect that I can open when ready in the right place. I've seen online that no doctor would ever agree to give me such bad news in this way. That it's an absolute 100% no and the only way they would ever even discuss a diagnosis would be in person in public (ie in their office which feels public to me).
Can anyone tell me if this is really true? The thought of this gives me almost panic attacks. I want to be alone to let news like that sink in and be free to react naturally to the news without having to hold it together in public.
Any know?

@fakenamefornow I’ve worked in cancer care and sadly I’m aware all to well of women who delay seeking help for cancer for various reasons but I haven’t come across your fairly specific reason so that’s why I’m interested as to whats behind that fear? People react in all sorts of ways but it’s more often a bit of shock, people often don’t take in what the dr says, hence why nurse specialists are worth their weight in gold. I’m not currently waiting for any input but I’m fairly sure I’ll be back there again as i have very lumpy boobs!

A consultant will see you at the breast clinic. Speak to them then about how to receive the news.
Get on and make an appointment.

It would be a breast clinic.
You can't get this kind of test without turning up in person.
All the patients waiting are either having treatment for breast cancer or waiting for investigations. They do all the tests on the day and then you see a doctor. At that point they have a pretty good idea what the outcome is. I was told they were 98% certain it was cancer, just had to wait for biopsy results to confirm.
I was on my own, just me and the doctor, I hadn't told anyone I was going and hadn't told DH. No-one in the waiting room knows what you are told.

Please please please don't put off going to the GP for this reason. You are getting too far ahead of yourself - take it one step at a time.

If you do end up in a position when you will need to get some results, then you can discuss with the medics then as to options for getting those results and I'm sure they'll make every effort to address your fears. But that's a long way down the line, if at all, so don't delay starting the journey.

Sometimes results will be posted on the NHS app before you speak to a doctor. I had this when I had more severely abnormal cells in a smear. I was called to make an appointment to discuss my results but I already knew the outcome.

The thing with any cancer or suspected cancer is that time is often paramount. I've literally just gone through a diagnosis with someone else and I'll quickly run down how it went for them.

GP appointment after finding a lump, GP immediately referred to breast clinic at the local hospital.
Appointment at the hospital was less than 2 weeks later. At that appointment she first saw a consultant who said that it was definitely suspicious. In the same appointment she also had an ultrasound, a mammogram and a biopsy done. The results of the mammogram and ultrasound were available almost immediately and patient was given the news straight away by the consultant, with a specialst nurse, in a small private room that it was cancer. Then the nurse/consultant immediately outlined the next step (waiting for biopsy results) and also discussed the size, spread and potential type of cancer.
The following week she had an appointment with another consultant to discuss treatment, ask any questions and have a private chat with a nurse,
The week after that she had another appointment with the 2nd consultant where they gave the results of the biopsy, went over the surgery, booked in a surgery date and she also met the surgeon who would be doing the operation. A nurse then went over any questions about the hospital stay, the surgery and recovery.
Today she's having her pre-op appointment and so far everyone is incredibly reassuring and confident that this is completely curable. The care has been exemplary so far and a big reason is the speed at which this has all happened.

Giving results via letter, while I totally sympathise, adds extra time to the process. What if the letter gets lost? What if it goes to the wrong address? You're potentially going over the line from easily curable to a more complicated and less desirable outcome.

Having had unexpected bad new when I was on my own. (Neurological rather than cancer) It really is helpful to have someone else there.

The longer you take the worse it could be. Book an urgent gp appointment. They’ll refer you. You’ll see someone with 2 -3 weeks if NHS or sooner if private.

Following that initial consultation and initial tests, they’ll tell you if it’s ‘suspicious’ or not. If ‘suspicious’ you’d need a biopsy. Then results from that. So it’s the last appointment you’re worried about.

If they tell you it’s ‘suspicious’ that’s a gentle way, usually, of preparing you for bad news at the next appointment. So in a way - it wouldn’t come out of the blue and you’d be better prepared.

Ive never known them send such things in a letter.

The lump might be harmless - you just need to get it checked asap.

Good luck x

Ps. If you’re in London I can recommend an amazing consultant. Discreet and private.

As others have said, the breast clinic is likely to have a pretty good idea of the outcome on the day you have the tests and will let you know there and then. If they don't, and you live a long way from the hospital then they might agree to give you the results over the phone - I was told I had endometrial cancer this way, having said that I was happy for them to call me rather than invite me in to discuss in person.

But bear in mind that they can't say when they'll call, so there's no guarantee that you'll be home alone when they do - I was actually walking down the street. I don't think that for data protection reasons they'll ever give you results like that in a letter or in an e-mail - they need to speak to you to ensure that they have the right person and give you the opportunity to ask questions. There's too much risk that a letter or e-mail will go missing or be intercepted

Please don’t be put off. If it is bad news they would need to talk things through with you in person. But one step at a time, hopefully it’s nothing.

Hi Op
I have had 3 visits , all benign cysts
They can tell from the mammogram and US whether it's suspicious and give you a grading on the likelihood
All the tests happen on one visit and at my clinic you go through from mammogram, Dr, Ultrasound without seeing any other patients .

Please do not delay because of this

Going against the grain here, I wouldn't mind calling a patient with a biopsy result, instead of giving the information face to face, if that is what they wanted. I have done this in the past.

I think it is entirely reasonable for you to ask if the results appointment could be done by phone. On the small chance that the lump does turn out to be cancer, you could then attend face to face once you've had time to take in the news.

So I had a mammogram recall to the breast clinic and had on that follow up session another mammogram (to check the findings of the first mammogram) and it was decided I needed a biopsy. Before those 2 things I did have to speak to the Breast Cancer nurse to talk through what the day would entail and how I felt about it, (get it over with!!!) and then before the biopsy I had an exam by a consultant and a discussion about why I was there before going onto the biopsy.

So by the time I got through to the biopsy I knew they were concerned about some calcification but in the actual biopsy they were struggling to find it so I knew it must have been tiny. What I’m trying to say is that you’ll be guided through the appointment by all the professionals in a very matter of fact way and you will get a sense of where it is going BUT you will have the support you need.

After the biopsy I did have to see the nurse again to make sure I understood the next steps, and at that stage you could say I don’t want to talk about this now and they will 💯 get it and a follow up session was organised for results.

I did then get a phone call telling me not to come in for the appointment as it was clear.

Don’t not book a GP appointment because you want to control how you get the results, it’s important you get checked out.

Why have things gone backwards?

I don't think being able to see a consultant straight after a mammogram is going backwards. Please take the excellent advice you have had on here.

Go and get the referral and have the investigations. You can then have a conversation with them about how you want the follow up appointment to work. Don’t delay just because you’re worried about a situation unfolding and how it might make you feel when (a) it might not happen like that or (b) you may change how you feel about how you receive that information once you’re in the thick of it.

I was very certain that I did not want to hear anything about prognosis or survival rates or anything about how likely I was to die. It went into my notes. And then several months in, I had my first appointment with the oncologist (after several months being overseen by the surgeon before that), and I don’t know if it was intentional or she just didn’t read my notes, but the first thing she did was hand me a print out on survival rates with my different treatment options. I can’t tell you how reassuring I found it. I thought it would be awful to see it in numbers. Actually it gave me a lot of hope and took away a lot of the anxiety I’d been feeling.

Basically, don’t write yourself off as someone who couldn’t cope with something. You’re a lot stronger than you realise and it’s always better to tackle a problem and find a solution than to let the fear take away your choices.

Don’t panic. Breast cancer services in the NHS are brilliant. Very quick. Very professional. I’ve had several negative biopsies. My aunt has had breast cancer. Different NHS trusts. Both fabulous.

How about a phone call? Not sure a doctor would email results as it could lead to a complaint

How about a phone call? Not sure a doctor would email results as it could lead to a complaint

How about a phone call? Not sure a doctor would email results as it could lead to a complaint

How about a phone call? Not sure a doctor would email results as it could lead to a complaint

Breast Care Nurses are really good at addressing fears. I have had BC twice and my experience has been exceptional. You will be informed of your diagnosis privately. If you want someone with you that is possible. All scenarios are tailored at the time to your needs at the hospital or clinic. I have never been told in an open setting about cancer or all clear.

The sooner you go for a mamogram/doctor etc the earlier you will get either the "all clear" or start treatment. Cancer is best treated early, just start the process and get this out of your mind. One step at a time and don't start worrying about the "worst" as it doesn't always happen.

Thank you all for taking the time to post. And it's really good to heard so many positive experiences of the NHS. All you ever hear on here and in the media are horror stories.
I think I have a plan from the information you've given.
I'll go to GP. They might not even refer me anywhere anyway, they might say it's nothing.
If I'm referred, I'll go to hospital, I get the impression it's, US/scans then only biopsy if needed after looking at scans. So hopefully I'll just get to go home at this point with no biopsy as cancer is now ruled out. I don't know if you routinely see a doctor before going home but if you do, just for them to tell you it's nothing, well I don't need that appointment anyway, I can just go home.
If they decide I need a biopsy, I'll stay and have that done, then just go home.
I'll phone up when I get home and ask what the result was. I know somebody with the results might not be available to speak to me but I can just leave my number and ask they call me back when they're not busy.
I'm pretty sure they won't just point blank refuse to tell me the result (?)
Perhaps oddly, I'm actually not that worried about having cancer, I'd just be pissed off about it and the arduous treatment process I'd have to go though.
I've seen Cancer Research adverts on TV where people are sitting in the room with the doctor shitting themselves and the doctor does the big reveal of 'all clear'. I always think why don't they just tell them in advance so they know what they're coming in to? Or worse, imagine it not gone and it's now stage four and you have to sit there to be told that! Why wouldn't they just let you know that on your own beforehand so you could come in prepared, with questions etc. Being on public display (I know it's just a couple of people in the room with you) to receive bad news like this terrifies me, I just want bad news on my own.
And yes, I have received bad news home alone before, the sudden death of my brother a decade ago came by phone when I was home alone (thank god).

So the Consultant has to create a letter/email and THEN an appointment to see you to discuss the results, should you need to be told about the need for treatment

The NHS doesn't have the funds to fuck about.

Go private if you want more time consuming care

An appointment for bad news won’t be in public - it will be you, doctor and nurse. They will want to see you to discuss the next steps - grading of any tumour, surgery and treatment plan. These can’t be covered in a letter.