How long should I have to wait for biopsy?

Posted by fwpoole @fwpoole, Jun 26, 2019

It’s been over a week since I had a large tumor removed from my large intestine and I still don’t have a pathology report. This doesn’t seem normal. What should I expect?

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Becky, Volunteer Mentor | @becsbuddy | Jun 26, 2019

@fwpoole Welcome to MayoClinicConnect! I really can understand your frustration! Waiting is the hardest thing ever. The wait time for a pathology report always changes. Sometimes it can be done at your local hospital, but many times, specimens are sent to larger hospitals (like Mayo Clinic) This allows your surgeon to get a more detailed report on the specimen. It could also be planned for your disease to be presented at Tumor Board. This is a gathering of the radiation oncologists, surgeon, medical oncologists, pathologists who can discuss the case and decide on best treatment. Maybe you can call the lab at the hospital where your surgery was done and they can tell you if the specimen was sent out. Will you let us know how things turn out for you? I hope all goes well and your wait isn’t too much longer