False statement about cancer

I wish I would have been more persistent with my primary. I had gotten a CAT scan to look at a bowel obstruction. I was diagnosed at that point with fibroids in my uterus and a mass on my fallopian tubes. I had had earlier in my life surgery on my fallopian tubes because they had been scarred . The gastroenterologist said that that would be something that I need to discuss with my primary. I made the appointment with the primary and she said oh that's nothing. We don't ever do anything with uterine fibroids. 2 years later I'm diagnosed with a rare form of uterine cancer that had moved into my fallopian tubes. I wish I would have sought another opinion. It really infuriates me that I had Primary physician who wasn't willing to explore my cincerns. I moved away from her about that time because I also wanted to get bone density scans but I wasn't 65 yet and she refused to order it. I was able to find a primary who would order that about 9 months later to discover that I had osteoporosis. Not all doctors are good doctors

Bravo, I totally agree with you and I’m here today because I went for another opinion. I had been a long time smoker and finally got rid of them, five years later I had read an article about getting a ct scan if you used to smoke or even if you still smoke. I saw my doctor and asked him to arrange a scan and told him why I wanted it, to my amazement he refused, told me that they only do scans if there’s a problem or for diagnostic purposes. I was truly shocked and decided I will find another doctor and see what happens, thankfully she totally agreed with me and so I got my scan. They found a nodule with concerning features but not entirely sure if it was cancer so I was put on observation for scans every six months and eventually it came back as cancer with another nodule that popped up beside it. I had a lobectomy and I was diagnosed with stage 1A2 because there was two tumours. I was so fortunate to have had early detection and today lung cancer is being treated successfully because more doctors are using scans, many are found by accident but either way it’s saving lives.

A friend of mine is a primary care physician. He says all the time, "what do they call the person who finished last in his or her class?"

"Doctor!"

I’m so sorry that people you love/loved have had such a silly statement made to them and that they believed it. I can’t “blame” anyone else but myself for reaching stage 4 appendix cancer. Symptoms over a 4 year period I ignored, downplayed and explained away to myself as being burnt out from decades of a stressful career (fatigue and digestive issues) and going through menopause (bloating). I didn’t give my GP the information he needed to be alerted/alarmed. Now that I’m NED I’ve lost trust in reading my body myself and I’m so grateful for 4 monthly scanning and blood tests. So important to be our own strongest advocates as much as we can.

I am so sorry you are going through all of that. My loved ones have heard this not only from PCPs but also from oncologists -- some of them at noted cancer centers. It is too many to be a coincidence. I am thinking that they must be taught this in medical school. Someone needs to stop it. If I knew how to make that difference, I would definitely do it.

I was diagnosed with EC
stage IV late June. My symptoms never went away , but I no longer use my primary care doctor because when I first sought an answer to my back/ chest pain, he didn’t send me for any tests or recommend a specialist, but agreed to my suggestion that I get a cardiac work up to eliminate the heart as a cause. When at subsequent appointments I asked if I should go to the ER if the pain doesn’t subside he quipped that there was no reason to. After my heart was cleared as the cause I went to my pulmonologist who treats me for COPD. Finally, I made an appointment with my gastroenterologist who ordered a swallow test and endoscopy. That’s when they finally found cancer. My pain mgt doctor ordered an MRI which revealed the pain source- secondary bone cancer of the spine. If my primary doctor wasn’t negligent i would have been diagnosed by February, and perhaps it would not have progressed to stage IV.

Wow! I am so sorry, but not surprised, to read this. God bless you

Here is another example of a patient’s legitimate concerns being dismissed and where an assumption was made without benefit of information. It is only after we have had a close call that we question what we hear from an expert, and then seek further information. I am so sorry that you are facing this situation and wish you the very best.

To elaborate on this, I have for years complained to my primary doctor of back-chest pains that felt like a heart attack would, and he said they were esophageal spasms, and years ago sent me for a nuclear stress test to eliminate my heart as the cause, which it did. He prescribed nitro glycerin for the spasms. He did not recommend anything else to confirm. I have had these spasms on and off for years and he always said it was esophageal spasms. In January I went to him because the spasms were coming more frequently and leaving pain that did not subside. This change did not concern him and that’s when he agreed when I suggested a new cardiac work up.

I have not gone back to him since and will eventually find a new primary care doctor. I believe he was professionally negligent but I do not blame him for his actions- I just don’t want him as my doctor anymore. I have great faith in my gastroenterologist and especially my oncologist and oncology team. I’m 7 chemo runs into a 12 run treatment plan, and Monday I’m having my first PET scan since treatment started. Wednesday I will see how the treatment is going and whether the cancer has receded as the symptoms indicate, and whether there has been advance
in the bone or metastasis to any other region. This appointment could possibly determine my fate. I am cautiously optimistic.

This is VERY similar to what happened to my mother and then she turned up with stage 4 stomach cancer