Cancer patient's 'scanxiety' with delay in scan results as HSE admit to needing more radiologists

Louise Walsh

A terminally ill cancer patient says she has heightened 'scanxiety' with a prolonged waiting time for test results as the HSE admit needing more radiologists to cope with a 20 per cent rise in CT scans in the north-east.

Brenda Courell is battling metastatic stage four breast cancer which has spread to her lungs and sternum, leaving her with an initial prognosis six years ago of between four and seven years.

For the last two years, treatment has kept the tumours from growing, and Brenda has enjoyed the status of partial remission. However, she is aware that at any time, the invasive tumours could start to grow again or metastasise somewhere else in her body.

The 56-year-old from Donacarney, Co Meath, was being scanned every four months, with results the following week. Then the results came two weeks after the CT scans. Now she has to be scanned every three months, and the last two times, she has had to wait three weeks for her results.

Her delays come after the HSE admits there has been a 20 per cent rise in scan volumes in the north-east and they are actively recruiting radiologists to cope with the demand.

This additional volume has led to an average delay of 15 working days in the delivery of results, which Brenda is experiencing.

She said the delay in getting the results is leading to heightened scanxiety, interrupted sleep, worry and depression.

"I had to stop chemotherapy when I was diagnosed because I was so sick on it so now I have to get anti-hormone injections every month and a Herceptin injection, which is a HER2 targeted therapy. HER2 is a type of cancer that tends to grow and spread faster than other cancers.

"I was getting a scan in The Louth County Hospital in Dundalk every four months, but because I'm over five years battling cancer, I now need a scan every three months.

"I used to get my results one week after the scan, and for that week, I was worrying constantly. Then I'd cry with relief until the next scan until the cycle started all over again," she said.

"Then my results got moved to two weeks after a scan, and for the last two scans, I haven't got the results for three weeks.

"It's so upsetting. I don't know what is going on inside me. I'm a ticking time bomb. My cancer could have spread, the tumours may have grown, and I have to wait three weeks to find out. I have three tumours on my right lung and one on my sternum, and it is inevitable they will grow - but I don't know when.

"The staff are wonderful, but I was told it was because there are not enough radiographers to read the scans.

"I'm emotionally drained. The treatment has already taken its toll on my body. I'm angry with the system, fragile and hugely emotional. My scanxiety is through the roof.

"The hardest thing is that when I'm being scanned, someone in that hospital knows if my cancer has spread or not - but I have to wait three weeks to find out. It's not good enough for me and for others like me whose results are being delayed."

In a statement the HSE said: "In the absence of specific patient details, we are unable to investigate this individual case.

"CT scan volumes have risen about 20% in the north east.

"Three new full-time radiologists have recently been recruited and the hospital is in the process of seeking two additional radiologists.

"The average turnaround time for outpatient CT reports is currently 15 working days, and we are working towards the national standard of ten working days.

"We would encourage patients to directly contact the hospital should they have any concerns regarding their care."