Second opinion ?

i have talked here b4 ... But now I need some advise ... Just to cap my story I was diagnosed with dcis in January this year had my op cpl weeks later then started radiation treatment in March finished that on the 7 th April last week had my oncologist appt and my surgeons appt.

well last time I spoke to you all I had developed 2 new lumps on the same breast I had the dcis my oncologist said they are nothing and he isn't worried about them...but the thing is I am worried about them and I told him so. His reaction was well if it is cancer it is slow growing and when your due to have your mammogram in January next year we will see it then and then we will just repeat everything again and I said no I want to know now what they are and want them out and if it turns out to be nothing bad then that is fantastic. But he just calmly said no that's not what he wants to do something like that he said...then he just dismissed me by saying have a good day. So I had no chance of talking to him so I left. Then I had my surgeons appointment a cpl days later and he said he can feel the lumps and then said did u know u have another lump on the same breast but underneath I said no and then a cpl secs later he said u also have another lump on the other breast which I didn't realise I had...but again he said he isn't worried about at this stage... I didn't like that comment so I said well what r we going to do about them I said I don't want them there so he is sending me for an ultrasound which I have next week but said I will ring you with the results u don't want to have to come back here to see me!!

So I felt really awful after this both doctors giving me the brush off , so I decided I need a second opinion so I got my local doc to give me a referral to another surgeon ....but I just got word from him today saying he won't see a patient of my surgeon go back to him .... So I said tks and hung up. What do I do I feel really horrible

thanks

12 Replies

Kate001
Member
10 years ago
Hi yeah I had a marker put in when they did the biopsy and then on the day of the op had a wire put in to mark the spot of the cancer ....
lrb_03
Member
10 years ago
In response to Brend's comment re blood tests, not all doctors order them, some do order tumour markers, but unless you have a pre-cancer baseline, they're thought to be pretty unreliable.

So many things they don't tell us. Or maybe we miss some of it because we're still focused on the last thing they said. I've been surprised by the level of breast discomfort still. Worse than post op! It's apparently to do with tisue healing after radiation. I don't recall any warning about it.

Hope your ultrasound goes ok. Will be thinking of you,

Lyn
Kate001
Member
10 years ago
tks rowdy rowdy you all have made me feel better knowing there is help out there and now knowing I'm not the only one having lumps coming up after radiation thanks to you all hugs to all
Kate001
Member
10 years ago
hi Lynn

Yeah I intend going to my ultrasound its next week .... See you saying your breast r very lumpy after radiation that makes me feel abit easier about the lumps in my breast why don't these docs tell us these things so when it happens we don't get alarmed if it is normal that's good but I just have this feeling you know what I mean same sort of feeling I had b4 the biopsy when everyone was telling it will be alright but it wasn't anyway thanks for your advice ...kate
Kate001
Member
10 years ago
what blood tests never had one just the mammogram biopsy then op and then radiation thanks for the advice
Kate001
Member
10 years ago
Tks Trace yes I live in Melbourne I'll call the breast unit on monday
lrb_03
Member
10 years ago
Hi Kate, while ever you're concerned, asked for another opinion. Have the ultrasound done while you're trying to get that organised. My guess would be that thecsecond surgeon is actually trying to behave ethically because of some professional relationship or history with your surgeon, but there are others.

My breast is very lumpy, 4 months after finishing radiotherapy. I have had an ultrasound, referred by my GP, which showed nothing of concern.

Take care, Lyn
San-Dee
Member
10 years ago
I have been told to expect all sorts of weird changes in my breast after radiation. I have had to come to the realisation that it will probably never be the same again.

Get a second, third, fourth, fifth opinion if you need to. It's your body, your choice.

I know my GP had a list of surgeons for me to choose form. I took first cab off the rank .... what do I know? Luckily, I seem to have struck the right one, but there are plenty of others out there.

If you are in Sydney, try the Women's Breast Clinic in the city. It's supposed to have a very good name. It was on of the places my GP mentioned.

Good luck with it all.

San-Dee
Brenda5
Member
10 years ago
Totally shites me off that sort of thing. So you have to go back to GP (to check), go back to the surgeon (to check) and when something is found they just say come back next year and we will have another look.

What the hell were the follow up appointments for anyway? Just to drum up more business? Got better things to do than be running back to docs who aren't going to be proactive in following up on stuff.

Btw if they are thinking your blood tests show no signs of cancer and using that as a basis, mine never showed signs when it was a 2.5cm cancer either! Don't trust the bloods.
rowdy
Member
10 years ago
Hi if you are not happy you need a second opinion, there are other doctors out there. I don't understand how arrogant some of them can be, mine suggested I have a second opinion if I wanted one. You know your own body and you should be more informed about your treatment if that is what you need