Can't get in to surgeon for 6 months.
I was diagnosed with stage 2A ILC 2/10/25 and can't get an appointment with surgeon until June At that appointment they will refer me to a plastic surgeon for immediate reconstruction after the mastectomy but it will take another 3 months to get in for that consult. I am really nervous because by the time I actually have my surgery it will be 6+ months from diagnosis and I fund the lump 3 months before seeing my doctor and getting the biopsy. Anyone else have this happen?
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Hi @softballqueen, I'm sorry that you are experiencing delays getting your surgery scheduled. While breast cancer is not an emergency it is optimal to have surgery within 90 days of diagnosis unless further testing is required or you are undergoing chemo.
Are you waiting for particular doctors or is there a shortage of providers within your insurance plan? I travelled 100 miles for better care and more timely treatment since my local rural hospital is overbooked with patients. Larger hospitals tend to have more doctors available. Finding somewhere else, maybe in a place you have relatives or friends you could stay with, might be an option.
During Covid when non emergency surgeries were delayed women whose biopsies showed ER+ breast cancer were prescribed anti estrogen therapy (tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors) to begin treating the cancer while waiting. These drugs are usually started after surgery but your PCP or ob/gyn might be able to prescribe them for you while you wait. All the best.
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Maggie 15, I was started on the hormone blockers so that's good. The local surgeon isn't going to work because we don't have a local plastic surgeon and I want to do the reconstruction at the same time as the mastectomy. My medicare/supplemental covers anyone and my referral was to a major unniversity U.C.Davis about 90 miles from me. I think I will broaden my travelling boundaries and try Stanford. Thank you for your response.
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same. i have two conflicting statements from bay health and Christiana health. so I have an appointment end of May. Its stage 4 breast cancer. But I keep pushing and trying.
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softballqueen - you might consider UCSF, they have a well regarded breast center. Hopefully that is not where you started.
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I am a Kaiser patient (I went 13 years at stage IV before any progression!) but did get second opinions at Stanford. They concurred with Kaiser’s recommendations, which was comforting. UCSF would be a great choice as well (though Stanford is so fancy!) . I will also add that since I had recon at the same time as the bmx, coordinating the surgeons did add to the wait time, but due to the nature of bc, relatively slow growing, there wasn’t much concern about it effecting my health negatively. Take care
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@softballqueen We're just checking in to see if you've made any progress locating a different surgeon? There's some great advice in this thread, so hopefully that will help guide you! Let us know how you're doing!
—The Mods
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Yes I did get into Stanford & met with surgeon. Just had second appointment today and was told that after reviewing images of MRI mastectomy would be preferred due to the fact that lumpectomy would have to remove over 60% of breast and there would be defects. Just trying to process everything after learning that the complication rate for older women(I'm 71) is pretty high with reconstruction. Trying to get used to the idea of no reconstruction.
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I’m sorry that a lumpectomy won’t work in your case. While flap reconstruction has a high complication rate for older women implants seem to have the same rate of success at any age. That might be an option to consider. I’m glad you found a good surgeon at Stanford.
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