How does a doc tell you that you have cancer?!
Question: Ok besides saying "your biopsy shows cancer" what are a docs mannerisms typically like just before they give you that dreaded news and how do they usually approach it(as in tell you)? I had a biopsy last week and I just have this awful feeling about it. Would I be able to tell before he even says anything? the nurse said she would call before the appointment if everything was fine and she didn't call me. Well my followup appointment is tomorrow and I'm scared.
Answers: Ok besides saying "your biopsy shows cancer" what are a docs mannerisms typically like just before they give you that dreaded news and how do they usually approach it(as in tell you)? I had a biopsy last week and I just have this awful feeling about it. Would I be able to tell before he even says anything? the nurse said she would call before the appointment if everything was fine and she didn't call me. Well my followup appointment is tomorrow and I'm scared.
Everyone is scared before hearing the results of a biopsy, and you can't read anything into whether they called you or not, although they would call if the situation was so urgent that waiting another day or two would be risky - so at least you have already cleared the first hurdle.
There really isn't any easy way to break the news - the results are either positive, negative, or inconclusive. Its the explanation that follows that is important.
well let me say this if your biopsy was bad i think you would have been brought it really fast ad soemthing done. so my guess its ok. generally if its bad they put you into surgery or somethign right away and come tell yu and let you know now. take care stop worrying.
"ive got some bad news, you've got cancer of the ____"
he will look nevus or he will smile then wyb it off then he will say its a miner canser
you Have CAnEr
Nothingto be scared about...............cancer can be treated successfully thesedays
tiene cancer ud.
si entiendes castellano
luego el va a pelear contigo
es normal
Mrs. Daffy duck, you have cancer.
Tell your doctor. Give it to me straight.
"Don't beat around the bush." <}:-})
first of all...no matter what the news...you must always have hope & faith
when the doctor told my mom...she was very upfront about the news and gave an explanation of the procedures that would need to take place
she then came out and said she had 6 weeks left to live & my mom had to have a biopsy of the tumor on her heart taken while she was fully awake because it was too big of a risk to put her to sleep
once they found out what type of cancer; she had open chest surgery to remove the tumor....
and come to find out...it WASNT cancer, in fact, it was a disease that only 230 other people in the WORLD have had that is cancerous & non-cancerous...by the grace of God she had the non-cancerous one but there's always the chance it'll come back
so basically what i'm saying is...keep HOPE, keep FAITH, keep on looking FORWARD...there's always a chance that the doctor is wrong...there's always the chance that you'll make it....
keep contact w/ family and friends....staying by yourself and being depressed won't help anything...:)
good luck with everything, i hope everything turns out okay! God bless!
Truly, every docotr has different ways about them. There is no way to "tell" beforehand.
You are just scared (normal) and trying to read into things to prepare yourself.
I would think if your biopsy was last week, that if they found something bad they would have let you know right away.
Good luck, my fingers are crossed for you!
When my friend found out she had lung cancer, they just told her as a matter of factly on the phone! Not a good way to do this for sure!
When they found out something serious with my husband, they called me in too!
Usually they don't tell me when things are o.k.! I wouldn't worry. Worry never solves anything. I always say no news is good news!!!! Keeps us informed though. K??? I'd hold your hand if I could! Hugs!
He probably won't use the word "cancer", he will give it a scientific name.
He also probably won't act any differently. He probably won't prepare you for it either. Doctors tell people bad things all the time. He will probably try to give you a sense that he is confident that it can be beaten.
Doctors don't usually give news like that in a bad or hopeless way, because most cancers are treatable nowadays. He will probably want to get started on a course of treatment and will assure you that it is beatable.
Don't jump to any conclusions - healthcare workers are in short supply in every specialty especially nursing. It would be nice if all doctors were straight forward yet gentle but, they are all unique - in fact there are some doctors that try to sugar coat the whole process. Since your appointment is tomorrow, my advice won't be of any use to you but, know something - having cancer is not the end of the world and certain cancers have a very low mortality rate now thanks to cancer research. Make sure that you trust your doctor and that you are being treated agressively but, with dignity and respect. I will pray for you tonight. Don't lose hope and if you do have cancer make sure that you get involved in a recovery group as soon as possible - you are going to be OK as long as you never give up.
Doctor's don't waste time and will usually tell a patient very quickly and very straightforward what the diagnosis is. A patient wouldn't have time to figure out his mannerisms.
with my mom, the first time SHE had found the lump in her breast ( it felt like a bunch of peas stuck together) and they did a biopsy right there in the clinic and then within about 15 minutes, the doctor just outright told us it WAS a tumor and was in fact malignant. ( she'd had another kind of test a few days prior thats how they knew so fast) this last time, they called and said they wanted her to come in ( since they had the results of the MRI she had on her back. I knew right then, I think, but I didn't want to believe it) and we went to her appointment and the doctor showed us the pictures from the MRI ( you could see the series of tumors!) and just as kindly as he could ( he's SUCH a good doctor and a really great guy) told us that her cancer had come back and there was nothing they could really do this time. I started crying and screaming so hard I had to hold my stomach so I wouldn't barf. We were told worse case scenario 6 months to a year, best case, many years. That was 7 months ago. Will be 8 months on the 23rd. Most docs I think just come clean and tell you. Don't be afraid to ask questions, even if the questions you want to ask scare you. If you think of something you want to ask later when you are at home, write it down and stick it in your purse. Then you will have it with you when you go to the doctor again. I wish you the best. Just be strong and know that if it is cancer you can fight it. Remember my mom, she is in her 4th year of The Fight. It CAN be done. If you need to talk, just message me.
I just this past month got diagnosed with cancer (nasopharyngeal carcinoma) and the doctor who I had originally first met with called me the night before a surgical biopsy of my nasopharynx I was supposed to get was to take place, and the day before the call I had a needle biopsy of my neck because I had swollen lymph nodes, so they had preliminary results of what I had because of that. I happened to be gone that night, so she left a message basically saying she'd try calling me back or otherwise I would hear about it the next day before my surgery, but she didn't want to leave a message with the results and would rather talk to me personally. I must have still been gone when she called back because I didn't find out until the next day when I had the surgical biopsy and the surgeon came in to tell me I had a carcinoma, and that was about it. He didn't seem to show emotion at all, or say too much about it, it was just pretty straightforward, almost like having a conversation about like the weather or something like that.
Let me tell you from personal experience that it is very difficult for a doctor to tell someone that they have cancer. Unfortunately when you do it as often as we do it you get used to it. Do not expect to be able to read anything from the doctors mannerisms or demeanor before the event takes place as we are a pretty composed lot. I would recommend bringing someone along with you to the follow-up appointment. If the results are bad you will be unable to focus on the important information that the doctor will need to go over with you. Bring someone that you can trust to hold up even under the pressure of bad news. If you do not feel comfortable bringing someone take a tape recorder or some sort of recording device that you can use to review the information later. This is some advice that I like to give all patients.
I like to be straightforward in my manner of delivery. Such as Mr./Miss So and So your biopsy report shows signs of malignancy. Every doctor approaches a patient differently. There is no set pattern, we like to take it as it goes. Do not bet on the nurse not calling you back as a sure sign that something is wrong. Nurses are very busy and the day may have gotten away from her. I would try to relax and keep a positive outlook. Good luck!
My husband has cancer and the doctor looked at us and said you are a lucky guy, if you are going to get cancer this is the type to get. Then he explained it was a stage 2 and with further testing it is a stage 3 but he is a lucky guy because the chemo at week 5 of 12 weeks is working.
Cancer is not a death sentence nor does it mean you can't have children.
Email me if you need to!
This is a great question simply because this gives me a chance to tell you how wonderful my moms Dr. is. The first time that she was diagnosed, he called her after her test and told her that he needed to see her and my dad both. Then he sat with them and told and showed them what he saw on the cat scan. He explained things very well to them. He sent her right away to Ann Arbor MI. and things got done right away. Then a year later, they did an MRI and found that she had a brain tumor. Again, the Dr. called my parents and he sat down and said to my mom, " I don't know how to tell you this, but you have a tumor on the brain." He sat and CRIED with my parents. You don't see many Dr's that would do that. Most of them are to the point because they have another patient waiting. So, I hope that you have a wonderful Dr. like my mom has. Good Luck to you. Please let me know your outcome. Feel free to e-mail me. I will start to pray for you. God Bless you and please don't worry yet. Hockey mom
First of all, good luck. Secondly, every doctor is different. When my daughter's pediatric neurosurgeon returned from surgery, he looked wiped out and that should have been my first indicator. He took my hand in front of my entire family and knelt next to my chair and proceeded to explain the surgery in great detail until he fumbled over the work malignant. I think he repeated it a few times as if to say that he wasn't going to use the word cancer. It was almost like he hoped I didn't know what that word meant. Doctors are trained to speak in medical terms and I think a lot of them hide behind that. If there is nothing wrong with you, be assured that he'll make sure to tell you immediately. If he beats around the bush with seemingly trivial matters, be prepared to hear the word malignant. Again, good luck.