Difficult to organize a biopsy
A week ago I had a CT scan of the chest due to being out of breath. It was thought to be a problem with my lungs though I have no cough and don't smoke. The scan showed a 3.7 cm calcified elongated m...
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Sorry to see you joining us here Illawarrian - all going well, it will be something other than breast cancer .... tho it is always a stressful time when something like this happens, almost by accident! Given your family history with BC, it makes sense to have it thoroughly checked out.
I am surprised that the report to your GP didn't suggest a biopsy .... so it is good your GP gave you a referral. Bummer that you have to drive so far for it tho! I am surprised there is such a long wait in Canberra! We only have 1 radiology centre where I live & there is currently a 2 week wait just for Xrays, let alone other procedures .... so recently, I drove to the closest 'walk in' centre so that I could have it done the same day - 30 mins away.
As you are a 'rural/regional' patient - make sure you check out the Patient Assistance Scheme (available in all states/territories) that will subsidise the cost of your travel/accommodation when you need to travel for your appointments.
ACT: https://www.canberrahealthservices.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/1985479/ACT-Interstate-Patient-Travel-Assistance-Scheme-Assessment-Guidelines.pdf
take care & all the best. (The waiting for results really sucks too! Grrr)
Thank you so much for telling me about the patient assistance scheme. I will definitely check that out. It's difficult living away from major cities. The waiting is awful. The radiologist who did the CT scan suggested a mammogram, but I only had one a few months ago and there was no lump; also my breast tissue is very dense; so I asked the GP if we could skip the mammogram and go straight to biopsy. I just don't feel like taking more photos of the thing is going to put my mind at rest. I'm in regional N.S.W.
Having Dense Breast Tissue - you should also be recommended to have an Ultrasound prior to any biopsy .... to try & pinpoint the area more accurately & get more 'info' on the suspect tissue too.
My own ILC was missed by 2 x mammograms - and was only picked up by biopsy after the Ultrasound was also 'not sure' .... but the report suggested a biopsy to be sure.
ILC (Invasive Lobular Cancer) is one BC type that doesn't always present as a lump.
If you are regional NSW - you'll need to check the NSW IPTAAS scheme link below (for a brief outline.) You should be able to claim mileage for any travel you've had already (tho it needs to be a minimum of 100k away from your home address - or 200k travelled within a week.):
https://www.ruralhealth.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PATS-Fact-Sheet-and-Guide-2025.pdfTho it might be an idea to actually speak to someone, first time up, to get it right first up.
https://www.iptaas.health.nsw.gov.au/homeWe have a private group for those who are rural/regional too ....
Group: Connecting rural, regional & remote areas | BCNA Online NetworkGood luck
Thank you!
