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How long to get pathology report??
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How long to get pathology report??

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › How long to get pathology report??

  • Post
    • August 8, 2018 at 1:58 am
    hawkdawg
    Participant

      We are waiting for our pathology report on my wife's cheek melanoma and associated SNLB.  At the time, they told us it should take "a week."  This is now Day 12, not counting surgery day.  How long did you all have to wait to get the report?  The waiting is awful.  The hospital insists it has no significance to the ultimate diagnosis, but also offers basically just a shoulder shrug on the timing issue… 

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        • August 8, 2018 at 11:03 am
        BillB
        Participant

          Hi, waiting sucks. I go to a major cancer center, have never waited more than a couple of days for results. 

          • August 8, 2018 at 3:02 pm
          AN8
          Participant

            I agree…waiting does suck.  For my biopsies at my dermatologist it takes about a week and a half but I have not had a SNLB so no help there.  My complete excission results also took about a week and a half also.  If you haven't already – call them.  Have no shame in bugging them if the report is taking longer than what they advised it would.

            I am not understanding why they advise the results have no significance to the ultimate diagnosis?  Unless I am missing something, the results from the SNLB may be a step in a final stage determination and treatment avenue??  For anyone more experienced than me, please advise if I am incorrect.  So many varying opinions and new things developing each day in the melanoma world….I learn something new all the time.

            Wishing you and your wife the best.

              • August 8, 2018 at 6:45 pm
              hawkdawg
              Participant

                Hi there.  I meant that the hospital was telling us that the apparent delay in getting results was not related to the likelihood of SN involvement.  But SN involvement of course remains critical to next steps, staging, etc.

                Anyway, we did call the hospital again yesterday afternoon.  They called back this morning, and the nurse of my wife's doctor asked what we were calling about.  We told her that we wondered when we might hear the results of the pathology examination. She told us to hold, then came back on to say it had come back just this morning—negative for melanoma in the margins, and negative for melanoma in the all nodes!!  NO further treatment recommended, but we'll be meeting iwth an oncologist anyway, for a tutorial that might help us going forward, then for scar revision surgery back with the original surgeon, then begin an accelerated program of skin inspection well into the future.

                We are grateful for these results, of course, but also very grateful to those who took the time to answer our questions.  Thank you to everybody, and we hope we can somehow share our good luck with you all!!

                • August 9, 2018 at 3:40 am
                AN8
                Participant

                  Oh!  Sorry for misunderstanding.  And..great news.  I am sure you both breathed a sigh of relief.  I 100% agree with meeting with an oncologist..esp if he/she specializes in melanoma.  Best wishes to you both! 

                • August 8, 2018 at 3:40 pm
                nicolec
                Participant

                  I've waited for 2 1/2 weeks before- almost 3. Both the times I had to wait so long were times where they got a second opinion.  Waiting is awful! 

                  • August 8, 2018 at 4:16 pm
                  SABKLYN
                  Participant

                    My initial biopsy took about 4 weeks as Emory couldn't make decide what it was.  The wound up sending that little piece of me to UCLA for another look.  My SLNB results took about 9-10 days at Emory.  Shouldn't be much longer.  I would call the surgeon's office.  Sometimes the delay involved when they can schedule you.

                    • August 8, 2018 at 11:33 pm
                    dbJoe
                    Participant

                      I guess I was (somewhat?) lucky. My surgeon ran into the pathologist in the hallway, he confirmed my diagnosis by the time Dr. Matt to glued me back together.

                      In all diagnostic matters, I won't leave until I've made arrangements to personally procure any images, reports, or notes. OK, sometimes my wife does, but the point is to get everything, keep your own files.

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