It is tempting to say, "You will be fine," but you both know that you can't make that guarantee. Instead, a more helpful thing to say would be something like "I'll be here for you, no matter what the test results reveal."
The results, called a pathology report, may be ready as soon as 2 or it may take as long as 10 days. How long it takes to get your biopsy results depends on how many tests are needed on the sample. Based on these tests, the laboratory processing your sample can learn if cancer is present and, if so, what type it is.
About 20 percent of these biopsies yield a diagnosis of breast cancer. Open surgical biopsy removes suspicious tissue through a surgical incision. This procedure requires either a general or local anesthetic and closure of the incision with sutures.
All tissue that is removed is sent to a laboratory, where a pathologist will examine it under a microscope. The results will be available in about a week. If all the cancer and a margin of healthy tissue are removed during the biopsy, this may be the only treatment you need.
In some situations, such as during surgery, the sample of cells may be examined immediately and results are available to your surgeon within minutes. But most often, the results of your biopsy are available in a few days. Some samples may need more time to be analyzed.
Know when to call your doctor by using the 2-week rule: If you notice a subtle change in your normal health and it lasts 2 weeks or more, it's time to explore what is causing the change. Your doctor wants to hear from you before a small problem becomes a bigger, more complex one.
Your General Practitioner (GP) or dentist may have asked for you to have an urgent hospital appointment within two weeks. Depending on your symptoms, this appointment may be to attend an outpatient clinic, a diagnostic test (such as an x-ray or endoscopy) or a combination of the two.
This can be frustrating and difficult to cope with. You may begin to worry that the cancer will spread during this time. But we know that most cancers usually grow slowly. So waiting a few weeks for a scan or treatment does not usually affect how well the treatment works.
As this study shows, listening to a relaxing meditation or music during the biopsy can help you both physically -- the procedure may be less painful -- and psychologically -- you'll likely feel less anxious.
Although tests aren't 100% accurate all the time, receiving a wrong answer from a cancer biopsy – called a false positive or a false negative – can be especially distressing. While data are limited, an incorrect biopsy result generally is thought to occur in 1 to 2% of surgical pathology cases.
For a few days after the surgery, you will probably feel tired and have some pain. The skin around the cut (incision) may feel firm, swollen, and tender. The area may be bruised.
Allowing the patient to openly voice their feelings is a useful calming technique and improves the patient experience. Take a few minutes to sit and truly listen to your patient's fears and worries. Talk to them and encourage them to speak their mind. Asking open-ended questions encourages communication.
Ultimately, your greatest weapon against waiting-time anxiety is distraction. 'In situations where you have no control over the outcome, the best thing you can do is try to take your mind off it,' says Cohen. 'That may be through reading, listening to music, meditation or confiding in a friend.
Atychiphobia (Fear of Failure) Atychiphobia is an intense fear of failure. It may cause you to put off or avoid any activity or scenario that has the potential for an unsuccessful outcome.
The pathology report may be ready in as soon as two or three days after the biopsy is taken. If additional testing of the tissue is necessary, the report may take longer to complete (between seven and 14 days).