Wow--Have to wait months for possible cancer to be checked

[Anonymous]

I have a suspicious lump. The soonest I can get a second scan and biopsy is in September.

I called another radiology company. They said they can't use the film from the first company and they are scheduling 5-8 weeks out just for a diagnostic test.

Anyone else in a similar boat? This is nuts.

[Anonymous]

Call Hopkins radiology in Bethesda

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a suspicious lump. The soonest I can get a second scan and biopsy is in September.

I called another radiology company. They said they can't use the film from the first company and they are scheduling 5-8 weeks out just for a diagnostic test.

Anyone else in a similar boat? This is nuts.

Why is it nuts? You have to wait for your turn. September is only next month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Call Hopkins radiology in Bethesda

Not OP but we had to wait weeks here as well, unless you can do a later in the evening test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Call Hopkins radiology in Bethesda

Thanks! I'll try and see. United Healthcare and Hopkins are battling about costs, so I might not have Hopkins starting in August or will have to pay cash.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a suspicious lump. The soonest I can get a second scan and biopsy is in September.

I called another radiology company. They said they can't use the film from the first company and they are scheduling 5-8 weeks out just for a diagnostic test.

Anyone else in a similar boat? This is nuts.

Why is it nuts? You have to wait for your turn. September is only next month.

The point is that this is not acceptable. The fact you think it's normal to wait this long is wild.

[Anonymous]

Months? September is next month.

[Anonymous]

It is the norm, unfortunately. When we lived in the UK, my mother had to wait 3 months to get checked out for a breast lump - and she had a family history of breast cancer, with two of her sisters who had had breast cancer before her. Luckily, it turned out to be nothing. I hope the same happens to you, OP!

It's nuts that they can't use the film from the other company. That smacks of typical healthcare exploitation, and not something technically problematic or hard to read with the film. Can you get an oncologist to look at your first film and give you an idea of the urgency of the check-up?

Also, do all the radiology places have waiting lists where they call you if there's a cancellation?

[Anonymous]

who ruled it "suspicious"? In my cancer case, my docs were able to push some things through, but for radiology I always had to wait my turn.

[Anonymous]

Georgetown radiology has walk-in appts. When I had a suspected blood clot, my doctor told me to walk in. You might have to wait a few hours, but you’ll get seen the same day.

I’m not sure about the biopsy though, and if those appts are tied together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a suspicious lump. The soonest I can get a second scan and biopsy is in September.

I called another radiology company. They said they can't use the film from the first company and they are scheduling 5-8 weeks out just for a diagnostic test.

Anyone else in a similar boat? This is nuts.

Why is it nuts? You have to wait for your turn. September is only next month.

The point is that this is not acceptable. The fact you think it's normal to wait this long is wild.

NP. That's not a long wait. I'm not sure what's wild about an appointment for an important health issue in a month.

Waiting is hard, OP. We understand that, we've had our own waits for issues, sometimes weeks, sometimes months, sometimes years.

[Anonymous]

September is actually really soon, wait-wise. A lot of specialists schedule out way longer than that. When my spouse wanted to be seen by a new primary care doctor he had to schedule almost a year ahead.

[Anonymous]

It sucks for sure, OP, but not surprising.

I have to wait until November for a surgery that is important, but evidently not that time-critical.

[Anonymous]

That's not "months" that's WEEKS!!! Totally acceptable time.

[Anonymous]

that isn't "months" it's one month. I don't see why you are upset, that is very soon. I had to wait longer when I had a brain tumor.