# Pathology questions....



## teri2280 (Feb 7, 2012)

This is somewhat of a vent session, but it's also a "looking for someone to calm me down". 

It's been almost 2 weeks since my TT. I was told by my surgeon that we'd have the pathology report back within a week. I did not have a biopsy done pre-op, as my local endo didn't like the size, and my surgeon felt very confident that it was cancer, so they did the surgery before the testing.

I had my post-op visit with my local endo today. It went great, other than the fact that he said that it could be up to a month before I get the path results. Really?? That seems like a load of bull to me.

My local endo also said that the pathologists are kind of like a jury. If there's 12 of them, and 7 say yes it is cancer, but 5 say no it's not, they kind of debate it out and try to get it to 9 yeses and 3 nos. Is this accurate? I mean, don't get me wrong, I understand that pathologists have a pretty big job to do, but the way it sounds to me is that my body (cancer or not) is just a vote. My local endo is waiting on the path report before he orders the RAI (or not). If it was cancer, he's going to order the RAI, if it wasn't, he won't. The thing that's worrying me, is if it comes back to NOT be cancer, was that a "swayed vote" where I should have the RAI anyways?

Whatever this is, cancer or not, it's moving fast. When I had my first consult with the surgeon (3 weeks before surgery), she did an ultrasound (read it herself, no third party in between) and there was absolutely nothing in my lymph nodes. She checked for me, kind of at my request, because I asked her, "Well, how do we know it hasn't already spread?" and her answer was to do the ultrasound. Needless to say, when I had the surgery, she had to take my lymph nodes. Granted, not all of them had it in there, but she explained it like a pearl necklace - if you have one bad pearl, it's a pain in the butt to replace just that one pearl, so you chuck the whole thing. Unfortunately, I do NOT know how many had it vs. how many didn't.

I understand that pathology isn't an overnight kinda thing, but siz weeks? If that's the case for one of the bigger cancer hospitals in my area (The Cleveland Clinic), I SO get why so many people die of it.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

????

Um, I've never heard that kind of explanation before. To my knowledge (I just pulled out my path report) there was only one pathologist who looked at my tissue.

My surgery was on a Monday and I received a call Saturday afternoon from my surgeon with the results. Same with the FNA -- biopsy taken Friday, results on the following Tuesday. And, relatively speaking, I was at a small-ish hospital.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

teri2280 said:


> This is somewhat of a vent session, but it's also a "looking for someone to calm me down".
> 
> It's been almost 2 weeks since my TT. I was told by my surgeon that we'd have the pathology report back within a week. I did not have a biopsy done pre-op, as my local endo didn't like the size, and my surgeon felt very confident that it was cancer, so they did the surgery before the testing.
> 
> ...


Either a specimen has cancer cells or it does not. I think it is pretty clear cut.................that's a pun!

So..........................I would call the pathology department; that is what I would do. You would think your doctor would do that, would you not?

You are right about waiting so long to have RAI. I can "feel" how you feel from afar. It is rather scary having to wait so long.

They often do pathology while the patient is on the table so they know whether to remove the whole gland or not. Geez! Thinking caps; we need our thinking caps!

Let us know.


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## nodakmom (Oct 15, 2011)

I had my TT in Oct and was told "within 1 week" for the path report, which I had to call and bug for, only to get an answer of "the pathologist isn't totally sure so we've sent it off to Mayo for a 2nd opinion" which supposedly would be back within a week and it took 2. I did not start any synthroid in that whole time since if it did come back cancer then they could get the RAI done much sooner. In fact, I got the results on a Friday at my post-op check (3 damn weeks out? I thought that was strange for surgery follow up) and since it was cancer they scheduled the RAI for the next Wednesday as my TSH was high enough already.


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

My pathology report had only one pathologist associated with it. I received it at my post op appointment, a week later. I just dug mine out too. The date on it was 3 days after surgery and had final report on it. I would phone the pathology department. It might help ease your mind.


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## Smokey8823 (Mar 17, 2012)

I work with pathologists in a cancer diagnostics lab, we can have results in one day, max TAT for diagnostic consultations is 5 days. If the case is difficult, than more than one pathologist will consult on a case. The pathology lab might have sent out your sample to a thyroid expert. You mentioned the Cleveland Clinic, we send out for second opinions for difficult cases to the Cleveland Clinic, they do have a longer TAT in my experience. Not sure why, non profit or large case load may be the reason?


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## teri2280 (Feb 7, 2012)

Thanks everyone, I just got a call that path was done. Not sure why I was in such a hurry to get it.


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

teri2280 said:


> Thanks everyone, I just got a call that path was done. Not sure why I was in such a hurry to get it.


It is nice to know either way, just one more part of closure. I hope you'll have the results before too long.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

teri2280 said:


> Thanks everyone, I just got a call that path was done. Not sure why I was in such a hurry to get it.


You want this behind you is my guess. So would I!!! Hope you get the results soon.


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