How quickly can a tumour show up between scans?
colthul
Member Posts: 20 ✭
If I had a PET/CT back in early July that was clear, surely it would be almost impossible that a lump I can feel in my BC breast would be a new tumour?
I know there was a FA in the same area of breast back in 2021 and 2022 when I was diagnosed and had 12 month scans (latest one in 2022 showed it had gotten smaller). I’ve never been able to feel it….until now. I also know that FAs don’t randomly turn into malignant tumours either. It was biopsied back in 2021 when I was diagnosed so I know it was benign.
I’ve seen my surgeon and he’s requested an urgent mammo/US/biopsy which is happening on Tuesday. BUT…I totally hate the $1200 I’m having to pay up front for the scans, especially if there is bugger all chance it would be anything other than the FA given that I had a clear PET back in July.
Could a tumour grow/reccur that quickly?
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Hi @colthul - yep, wondering why you have to pay for the scans too?? What age are you?
What is an FA (Apologies for my ignorance!
) 'Fatty' something?
My first thought would be that 'quick growth' is unlikely - but everyone is different ..... my own clear mammogram was just a matter of months before my GP found my lump .... so anything is possible, I guess - but try not to get ahead of yourself at this point in time xx Hopefully the biopsy will just show it as benign again & they know to keep an eye on it xx
take care & all the best0 -
Paying for scans is pretty standard, I live in Toowoomba QLD and there are 2 providers here. One is slightly less expensive than the other but $1200 is the quote for mammogram, US and biopsy and is around about what I paid when I was first diagnosed 2 1/2 years ago. Without the biopsy its about $400 a side.
Obviously there is medicare rebate, so we end up $530 out of pocket but still need to pay up front and then claim the refund which is sh!t.
@arpie FA is fibroadenoma - benign tumour. I am 441 -
Hi @colthul,
I hear you about the scan costs. I live in Brisbane and my out of pocket costs for scans and everything else is enormous. However your dr has a concern so it must be checked for peace of mind. I hope it turns out to be nothing but if it is something then the earlier it is found the better. Re tumors and how they grow, well that's anyone's guess. I had a fracture in my spine in January of this year. My oncologist did scans at the time and then every 2 months because of suspicion of bone mets. The cancer didn't show up in the first few cans but finally presented it's ugly self in July. So in my case it took 5 to 6 months before it appeared on a scan. I am currently being treated for it. It is good it was found so early so now the progression can be halted. Best wishes for your scan.1 -
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@cranky_granny, my medical out of pocket costs have been outrageous since my bc in 2020. I have also had melanoma and surgery to remove a couple of those since 2020 as well. Looking at the last few years if I add allied health items as well as everything associated with breast cancer and melanoma (including my medication) my out of pocket costs have been approximately:
$22000 in 2020
$17000 in 2021
$10000 in 2022
$10000 in 2023.
All this on top of my private health fees too. Cancer is expensive in the private health system and if I add the allied health eg physio it has been incredibly expensive for me. All this and of course each of these years I also hit the medicare safety net too.1 -
@Cath62 that is a disgusting amount of out of pocket. When i was 14 i had surgery my parents were in private healthcare and the out of pocket besides what they paid for the cover was the cost of the stamp.But Im stunned at the difference between the states and what you have had to pay.QLD health has been in the news a lot lately too.I do pay the gap between the medicare and the specialists fees when i see them in their rooms. Thankfully that not so often now also There are various outpatient clinics at my local hospital.I suppose we should be thankful for what we do get. Other countries don’t have any.1
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@cranky_granny the benefit for me with private health is no waiting. The big costs in 2020 and 2021 was surgery for bc.
My husband doesn't have private health and had surgery in January for a cancer on his kidney. There was no cost for him however we had to push hard and complain to get his surgery done. He was rated a category 2 by QLD Health which meant his surgery was to be completed within 90 days from diagnosis. It wasn't and the stress of walking around with that cancer was really impacting both of us.
A nursing friend of mine said Qld health don't want complaints and if we lodged an official complaint we would likely get the surgery so we did. We documented everything and bingo the surgery happened by day 120. Hubby got the all clear on his cancer which was great bur it took alot of energy to make it happen.
With mets I am not game to go public here in qld now. It's a mess. I use to be a nurse back in 1980s, trained in hospital here in Brisbane and back then qld health was pretty good. It's a big mess now.1 -
@colthul - how did you go with your scans/biopsy? Any word yet? I hope all is OK xx. Great that your surgeon got onto it quickly, too. xx
Those figures are eye-wateringly shocking @Cath62 ... and to think that Qld used to boast of the BEST health system of ANY state 'not that long ago' ...... back then, I think the 'profits' from the Golden Casket all put back into the health system? I wonder if that is still happening? Is the Golden Casket even still going??
SO glad hubby got a clean bill of health. xx
I've had private health insurance for as long as I can remember ..... I was out about $10,000 all up over the last 5 years for all my BC treatments (not that I've really documented it) but my private out of pocket for the surgery was about $3,000 - but I had it done 2 days after seeing the surgeon, which was the first day he got back from the Xmas Break (mine was diagnosed over the New Year break - biopsy was between Xmas & New Year) ....
I see both my Rad Onc (and treatment) and Med Onc all on the pubic system (and have had the same Onc ... once I got rid of the dork ... from early in the piece. (Many are concerned that they'll get a different person each time.) Being regional/rural, I don't know what happens in the bigger towns/cities - that may happen.
Hubby & I had the same Onc but we saw her privately in our town for his treatment & there was always a gap to pay (only for the appt, not the chemo) - whilst I've been happy to go 1/2hr to another town to see her on the public system - absolutely nothing to pay & I get to check out the local shops too.
Take care, ladies xx1 -
@colthul as arpie has asked. How were your results anything yet
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Sorry for not replying sooner. Looks like nothing interesting - potentially encapsulated fat (at least that’s what I heard the senior tech say when he was looking. Haven’t bothered to go back to surgeon as the sonographer said everything looked good. No biopsy which means only $600 instead of $12002
