How long does the average patient wait for a brain tumor biopsy?

[screembloodymurder]

A friend of mine had a seizure and has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. The tumor is growing, but he can't get a biopsy until July. Ted Kennedy is being operated on one week after his seizure. My friend, with the same symptoms, has been waiting for months. I've had several friends and a sister die of cancer in the last two years. None of them received what I'd call aggressive treatment. They waited months for tests and their subsequent treatment was too late.

Who gets treated when? Does one have to be rich and famous to receive timely cancer treatment in this country? Are working class folks getting pushed aside by a medical system that responds to class rather than need?

[Freddie Stubbs]

1. Probably depends on the physician, and well as the facility

[yellowdogintexas]

19. and the results of the intial brain scans/MRI/CT too. Some of these are obviously

more aggressive than others and it is recognizable to a person who evaluates this sort of thing on a regular basis. If it is an aggressively growing type, then get in there RIGHT THE HELL NOW; if it is a more slowly growing type or in a different location ..maybe not so much of a rush.

edited to add...when dealing with cancer, doctors usually move pretty fast

[CanonRay]

2. Short answer: Yes

[crim son]

3. I don't know if it's just working class.

My sister is very well off. When she had some suspicious bulging behind her eyes, she was told it might be a tumor, and then scheduled for a CAT scan a month down the line. She made a huge ruckus and the appointment was moved to the following Monday. It might be worthwhile for your friend to push for a more timely procedure.

[WildClarySage]

4. My experience has been opposite that-

my father's diagnosis of small-cell lung cancer has been handled quickly and aggressively. Lots of times, the squeaky wheel gets the oil. One may need to put pressure on insurance people, or on the physicians, etc. But in our small town, there's been a very acceptable response from all his treatment team.

I sincerely doubt that a diagnosis of brain cancer, as aggressive as that form is, would be treated less quickly here. Sadly, brain cancer is very subtle in its early stages and until it's pretty well entrenched, it doesn't usually reveal itself. My condolences on your losses and my best wishes to your friend. Cancer sucks.

[fed_up_mother]

5. Anyone I've known has gotten needed tests, surgery, and treatment quickly

but I live in an urban area. However, a relative of mind had breast cancer, and in her small-town rural area, she had to wait longer for just about everything than anyone here.

It's the same in other countries, too, so if you live in a rural area of Canada, you are more likely to have a longer wait than if you live in Vancouver.

At least all Canadians have insurance.

[Ferd Berfle]

6. The Oligarchy always goes first

[TechBear_Seattle]

7. When you are rich, famous and (most importantly) powerful, there is no health care crisis.

If you are a working class schmuck, it is to the end of the line for you. Literally and metaphorically.

I mean, come on: Ted Kennedy is worth ten of your friend. Isn't it obvious?

(I just wish I could say this post was all sarcasm, but alas....)

[screembloodymurder]

11. Nothing against Kennedy, but obviously there is a double standard.

My friend's life is worth as much as anyone's.

[spinbaby]

8. My father had near instant surgery

He had the same kind of tumor as Kennedy.

He went to the emergency room with a suspected stroke. They found the tumor with scans that day and he had it removed the next morning. This was a long time ago, though--1992.

[screembloodymurder]

12. I could be wrong,

but I think things have changed.

[fight4my3sons]

9. My sister had a seizure and found out it was a tumor

she had the seizure the end of March or beginning of April and she was operated on in May. It was benign. I don't know all of the specifics, such as the biopsy and things like that, but it all went very fast. She lived in Westchester and had the surgery at Mt. Sinai in NYC. I don't know if that makes a difference. The tumor was right in the artery that runs between the middle of your brain. They could not remove every little bit and she has to get MRIs every six months to make sure it is not returning. She lost the function of the right side of her body after surgery, but has since regained it and returned to work. She was having seizures after surgery, but after trying many meds she is now on Topamax which seems to control them. Last August she delivered a beautiful baby boy - something that the doctors said she would never do :) .

[yellowdogintexas]

18. same thing happened w/ friends of mine who had a 10 year old child suddenly

have seizures. MRI = tumor = instant hospitalization and tests, etc to determine. They knew within 48 hours what was happening and a protocol was started.

This poor kid had a very agressive tumor on the brainstem so it was not operable. It was a very long difficult year.

I think proximity to the super medical/research centers also helps. Here we have a couple of excellent children's research hospitals

my friend mentioned in my other post was in Nashville...Vanderbilt is there.

Now with the Senator, once the initial workup established he hadn't had a stroke and then the MRI/CT scans whatever showed the brain tumor, the specialists would then say a biopsy would be immediately necessary. The speed with which it would happen then gets determined according to how many hoops your ins makes you jump through, or how bossy your doctor is along with other considerations.

Being intially treated at Mass Gen also offered the option to connect really quickly w/ the best specialists and facilities who actually treat this type of tumor. At this point, the fame and wealth of our patient DO really make a difference because he can just pick up and go to Duke to get the surgery because even if his insurance wouldn't cover the facility or the doctor, it doesn't matter because he can pay for it anyway; he can afford to go there immediately

the coverage government employees have available to them is among the best available, I know this because my parents had their medical from the USPS and it was my mother's secondary when she went to Medicare. Excellent package.

[hokies4ever]

10. C.R.E.A.M

Cash Rules Everything Around Me. Method Man wasn't exactly a cutting-edge visionary when he wrote this rap song back in the 90's, but it does answer your question.

[Happyhippychick]

13. You don't have to be rich and famous to get timely medical care but you have to

make a huge fucking fuss. I would hire an advocate.

[yellowdogintexas]

17. OR HAVE REALLY REALLY GOOD INSURANCE.

many years ago a friend of mine was diagnosed w/pancreatic CA which had spread to her spine. In other words very advanced. We had excellent coverage through our employer, and the doctors whipped her into the hospital so fast it gave the rest of us whiplash. They nuked the secondary in her spine and killed it off to relieve the back pain which was actually her original symptom and put her on an initial protocol of chemo so she could take a long planned trip to Europe with her family. Then when she got back, they got very aggressive. She lived 3 years with a prognosis that should have had her dead in 3 months.

Another friend who is an oncologist told me when I asked him about it at the time of her initial diagnosis that we would be attending a funeral before Christmas (this was July) and she lived a good quality of life for nearly 3 years and worked up until the last 6 months.

Oh by the way we just worked for a large insurance company, we weren't working in fancy professional jobs or anything just had a good employer.

[spanone]

14. being rich and famous certainly helps

[eilen]

15. Depends on facility, insurance and how big and where the tumor is.

Once a scan is done, which would be done immediately after a seizure/stroke for a man of his age (would you put off an ECHO after a heart attack?).

Anyhow, most likely in countries with single payor he would be bumped to the head of the line due to his position and wealth.

[FirstLight]

16. VERY good point....

Though Obama does say that we will get the same health care he does, so that may be an improvement.

Right now, we are on Medi_CAL (california welfare healthcare) My aughter has a birth defect that hit her brain, and it took over a year to get an MRI, and they found a cyst in the temporal lobe. Not gonna touch it, they wil just do MRIs annually and watch to see if it grows..

I still don't think it is agressive enough for me...but where do I get a second opinion when we are so limited in who takes Medi-CAL...?

ya, wealth, power, and class have alot to do with ALL types of perks... from tax breaks to better health. Shal we also talk about the fact that most of the people who have diabetes., etc are POOR and can't afford healthy foods?
let's not get me started...