How long does it take for biopsy results from colonoscopy

[SummersBreeze]

I had a colonoscopy 5 weeks ago due to being sick last year. My GP referred me. The paper I got after the procedure said may take two weeks for biopsy results. It's weeks past that now. Is the delay anything to worry about? Who talks to me about the results? Is it the GP or will an appointment be set up for a consult from the hospital? I rang the GP but the biopsy/ies weren't back yet. My GP is usually good at emailing me results but she didn't do that yet. Why is there such a delay?

I’m in the same position, waiting for results, supposed to have got them a week ago but nothing yet. I have to have colonoscopy’s regularly and the last time it took way longer than they said as well. I wouldn’t worry too much I think it’s par for the course at the moment everything is taking longer.

Mine took a month and I had a letter from the hospital saying no signs of serious disease.

Initially, my results came back within a week which showed CIN3 (severely abnormal cells). I had those removed and the results from that (checking sample/ensuring they got all cells) took 6 weeks, was supposed to be three but I had my procedure just before Xmas. At week 4 and 5 I rang the clinic to chase and after second phone call, I got my results (all clear, back in 6 months to check no further changes)

I think most pathology labs are under extreme pressure the same as the rest of the NHS, so results are taking longer. If they saw anything nasty or serious though then they fast track it. For now no news is good news. But chase it up in a couple of weeks time.

I was sick last year and that was the reason for referral. Diverticulosis was a finding from the colonoscopy but I am eager to learn what the biopsies show Incase there's any inflammation. At this stage I don't think it's sinister but I would like to be informed about my condition.

Everything I found out about the diverticulosis and diverticulitis condition has been through Google and a support group. Basically I am going to be prone to gut infections going forward and I will be at risk for a bowel perforation. I didn't have any medical professional tell me any of this. I had to find out myself. I'm finding this very difficult to deal with and very raw right now. How there has been NIL communication from anyone medical except for the advice of increasing fibre last summer. I'm doing that but I am sore and I don't want to go anywhere near another doctor because they will just leave me hanging around and guessing about my condition.

In my experience, the longer they take to get in touch, the less you need to worry.

It sounds as if your colonoscopy and it's results are following a routine rather than an emergency or cancer pathway.The whole Nhs is under huge pressure and there was a shortage of pathologists before the pandemic. Add in staff shortages and the push to get through all the urgent work and there are inevitable delays.There is a built in delay in that specimens get processed, reported on , doubled checked ,sometimes sent off for further tests with extra time added,, typed up, conveyed to your consultant, they will consider in light of your presentation and then dictate a letter which will get typed and posted. Second class post around here has been up to a week recently.If something dangerous had turned up you would have been fast forwarded down a different pathway.you can't be sure that all is alright without the results and I understand your anxiety but in the above context five weeks is not unusual.

Where I work (hospital) it’s taking 4-6 weeks for non-urgent (not suspected cancer) biopsy results to come back. They should let you know in the next couple of weeks. I had some recently and I got a random text saying my test results were normal (which I assume referred to the biopsies!).

Thank you for all of the replies. The wait has been so long. I had some niggling issues (prolonged low grade fever, on and off low left pain, rash) for months before I got sick. I didn't know at the time that you could get sick in the colon and I dismissed them all as period and ovulation pains and to do with the monthly cycle. It's only since I got sick last summer I am connecting it up. I suspect I had some long term inflammation in the colon. My issue now is that I am on my own. I haven't been told anything.

I had an endoscopy in January, but I’ve still not received anything official. I made a phone apt with my GP who managed to see the results about a month or 5 weeks after, so could be worth chasing your GP if you can’t speak to the consultants secretary.

Same here. I was in touch with my GP last week. She saw the endoscopy report on my file and all I got was one word from her - extensive and that was about the diverticulosis. The biopsy results still weren't back yet. There's been nothing official as such.

Have you checked whether gp has the results yet? A month or more is not unusual.

I checked last week and this week too. No biopsy results. The endoscopy report came back but there was no biopsy results.

When I googled about colonoscopy and biopsy a few things came up. Apparently it's common for a few biopsies to be taken. I don't know how many were taken from me. If it was one to do with the polyp or if there were more from around the colon. I was given limited information from the endoscopy report but the GP said 'extensive'. That's it. The biopsy results have vanished.

Hang on can you clarify? Does your colonoscopy report specifically say biopsies were taken? Because if they were it would definitely be in the report. Did the GP say that biopsies had been taken?
Or did you assume they had from a leaflet on colonoscopy?
Diverticulosis would not necessarily be a reason to biopsy.

@MissyB1

Hang on can you clarify? Does your colonoscopy report specifically say biopsies were taken? Because if they were it would definitely be in the report. Did the GP say that biopsies had been taken? Or did you assume they had from a leaflet on colonoscopy? Diverticulosis would not necessarily be a reason to biopsy.

I wasn't given the colonoscopy report. I don't know what the colonoscopy report says. I was given a discharge sheet and there on the page was a tick the box exercise for a nurse and it was in that section where there was a vague list of findings: Diverticulosis One small polyp removed Biopsies taken

That's all the information I got. I was given the endoscopy report.

Correction there from the last post and the last sentence. I wasn't given the endoscopy report.

My GP is usually good at forwarding me on blood test results and that's all usually a foreign language for me so I don't know why I wasn't forwarded the endoscopy report. I know that would be another foreign language to me too but I could google or I would find out what what's in it or try and make some sense of it.

I doubt at this stage it's anything sinister but the waiting for the results is killing me especially that I know there's something not right.

I have another issue and it's different and that's baldness on my legs. It was there for a number of years. I know many would be happy with that but now I my mind I am thinking if there's something else going on like some sort of an autoimmune condition that has caused baldness on my legs and perhaps targeting the gut too. Or maybe it's all completely different.

I know there is something not right though.

Aaah ok so biopsies and a polyp will have gone to the lab. It’s a shame you didn’t get the report, it’s considered best practice to give the patient a copy of it before they go home. The reports are done in between patients usually so pretty much instantly, they have a computer program for it.
The lab results should eventually make their way to the GP. You could ring the Endoscopy department though, as they might be able to access them, but do give it at least another couple of weeks.

@MissyB1

Aaah ok so biopsies and a polyp will have gone to the lab. It’s a shame you didn’t get the report, it’s considered best practice to give the patient a copy of it before they go home. The reports are done in between patients usually so pretty much instantly, they have a computer program for it. The lab results should eventually make their way to the GP. You could ring the Endoscopy department though, as they might be able to access them, but do give it at least another couple of weeks.

I wasn't given a report and it's something I was upset about. On the day I didn't think of it. I wasn't aware that reports can be given out but I found out on a support group for diver that many people have a detailed report from their colonoscopies. It's something I am actually upset about how I wasn't given a report. I still don't know how I got on with the prep and if it was satisfactory enough and that's upsetting because I took it seriously. I was sedated so I can't remember what they told me but I do remember the doctor or the nurses asking me did I drink all the prep. I feel somewhat offended at that in case I wasn't cleared out enough.

I was given no information except for a discharge paper from the hospital a few weeks ago. Then my own GP nearly felt hard done by giving me one word - 'extensive'.

I was given that 'diverticulosis' condition on a piece of paper and I didn't have anyone explain it to me and what it means going forward. Everything that I learned has been from good and support groups. There hasn't been one medical professional to take 5 minutes of their time and explain the condition to me. That's very raw.
I know on Google it says for many people with diverticulosis it's not a problem but I was sick last summer and my GP suspected the colon as a source of infection. So I do suspect what I had last summer was the diverticulitis. So I did flare up. I had some issues for a few months too before getting ill last year but I thought it was period and ovulation pains. Now I think it was possibly the diver gut condition all along.

There wasn't one medical professional that could spare me 5 minutes of their time to tell me about this condition.

The go that I dealt with last summer was fantastic. She helped me so much and she was very quick to zone in on the colon. I went to her twice in a month and the second time she referred me to the hospital to get a look at the colon. She's not there any more. If she was I have every faith in the world that she would have sat me down and tell me what I am looking at. There's a gp stepping in for her.

All in all this experience has left me with a poor taste in my mouth of the medical system.

• endoscopy report not given to me
• diagnosis given to me on a piece of discharge paper with no explanation or follow up.
• biopsy results vanished

Vets wouldn't even treat animals and their owners this way.

I know some people would probably panic at the idea of a biopsy and maybe automatically jump the gun and think cancer. I didn't think twice about the polyp/biopsy/biopsies and I thought it was probably just routine but I had no one in the hospital tell me this either. It's not very fair to let someone out the door like that after such an invasive procedure where you are vulnerable and there has been 0 explaination on anything.