How does a person even "know" if they have this type of cancer? - 1244758

Thanks. I did read the reports and there is nothing suspicious in the reports. However, that's the problem with MRIs. Doctors cannot read them. They are not taught how to do so. So patients have to rely on what they are told by whoever interpreted them which, for all I know, could be someone in India. (I know many are Interpreted there to save money, but I don't know just how many are -- and in saving the money I suppose they could be interpreted poorly as well).

Even if mine were interpreted in Canada though, there would be no way to get a second opinion. In Canada you can't speak to any radiologist regarding the results, & I suppose it's also the same elsewhere. You first have to get written permission from a doctor (who won't know if it's suspicious because he can't read them & won't look at MRI's because they are too confusing), & from there that doctor will refer you to another radiologist.

This is the case even if you pay for that second radiologist. In other words, when a radiologist knows that another radiologist's work is in question, he is likely to not go against the words of the other, to protect those in the radiology field. This way, if you should have cancer or other overlooked diseases, neither doctors nor radiologists can be held accountable.

Patients can't even send their pictures overseas to radiologists, if they want to pay them to have them interpreted, because they won't interpret them at any cost for a patient.

This concerns me a great deal, because I'm of lower income, having had cancer, possible Lyme disease, falling platelets, & many things seriously wrong, and after being told that stronger pills aren't recommended to actually shrink a now 1.2cm pituitary tumour any faster than by basically"maintaining" it at current size (due to government cost which would be an extra $20 monthly for a weekly .5 dosage versus the current .25, I wonder how much other diagnosis and treatment is not being acknowledged.

Sorry, I said $20 monthly. (It's $80 for 3 months now, so if I were to get pills that would actually shrink the tumour rather than maintain it at current size, it would cost government $160 for three months instead of $80.

Also forgot to mention that people just can't go to see a lung cancer specialist here. They first have to be referred, and they won't be referred unless their doctors find their MRI's suspicious, and their doctors won't find them suspicious because no doctor can read MRI's. I often have serious bouts of tremendous chest pain that feel like massive heart attacks. They told me to keep a diary of them, but I'm afraid that if I keep a diary instead of go in to get an EKG (and often also x-rays which I don't like) each time, one of these days it will be an actual massive heart attack rather than a spinal attack. So in my eyes, that's kind of like being told to keep a diary of everything I think is a heart attack. Why would I keep a diary? I want to make sure each time that it "isn't" a heart attack! Who would keep a diary if they thought it was? Each time I get one of those it's like a bullet that goes from the spine to the heart (or vice versa). I know it's hard for doctors to assess this when you have such bullets because they want to know whether I'm complaining about the spine or the heart, and I simply can't tell them because they happen at the same time.

I suppose that could also be from Lyme disease though, rather than anything actually physically wrong, because my lymph nodes and liver hurt too. On the first Eliza test I did have antibodies to B. Burgdorferi, Afzellii, and Garinii, but the Western blot test came out negative, meaning, it seems, that I don't have it after all. The first test simply identified antibodies that weren't there it seems.

Thanks. Will read those links later today. I'm not concerned that radiolgists might "lie" as I am about the fact that they might "omit" things, which some wouldn't call a lie. And I only had that concern because I'm not allowed to get drugs strong enough to make a big pituitary tumour shrink - but only enough (absolute minimal amount) to keep it "stable" because of government costs. Currently my pills do cost the government about $4 a week (at a guess if you take out prescription filling fees and likely discounts) and if I were to receive drugs effective enough to actually "shrink" the tumour it would cost them $8 a week, which is too high, which is why I wouldn't be in total shock if I heard that radiologists were asked to be not "quite so precise" in noticing every little thing if they wanted continued government business. .

Re taking the scans to another radiologist, also can't do that without a GP referral. Canada is a bit different than the USA that way I think. Would your doctor give you a referral to two radiologists, or even two specialists? That sort of thing is almost unheard of here. I've never heard of a Canadian who has done that regarding an oncologist or radiologist. I think it would also be considered a huge insult! Even if I did get a referral I suspect a second radiologist might NOT want to catch something another missed because it would make the first look bad. That was why I was wishing there was some way to get a 2nd assessment out of the country by mail.

About the breast cancer, I already had a segmental mastectomy about 4 years ago (chose no radiation or chemo). I think the underarm swelling,crawling bug sensations & falling platelets may be as a result of Lyme antibodies first specifically identified and then shown to not be there on a second test. It's only breathing and heart-attack like issues I have problems with now, (& low platelets), which made me think "lung" right away. Thanks again.

Sorry to flood your board like this and promise I won't go on it again for a few days so as to give others time to also have input. It looks bad when too many messages are from one person.

Maybe people could see a private specialist here, if they first saw a private GP, but yes that would cost loads of money!.

The comments about doctors getting sued for malpractice in Canada were a bit funny though because I don't think doctors in Canada get sued unless they do something involving many deaths! Sex related charges can also be heavy; otherwise they are basically protected from pretty well everything.

Once I asked to get my tubes cut, for example, & when I woke up they told me they decided to tie them instead in case I decided to change my mind in the future. I was really furious that they didn't tell me that before the operation! The decision had been very clear! I didn't want those clips in my body & am very angry every time I see them on an x-ray. We don't have lawyers in Canada like they have in the US, who are brave enough to tackle malpractice suits. That's why you will rarely see Canadian ads looking for that kind of business like you do American.. Medical organizations here are so strong that few lawyers dare get involved.

Even though our provincial opposition parties have demanded a public health inquiry in the legislative assembly, for example, & most people want it, (I think 70% in polls) there is no way the ruling government would ever allow that! They have refused & the courts won't interfere. No one wants to get involved with medical legal situations period.

Re putting the info on a CD & taking it to a radiologist, you can't do that either. Even a private one won't do it without recommendation from your doctor (I already checked) & it's highly unlikely that any doctor would give such a recommendation. I even tried contacting India for a quote & they won't do it for patients either. They only interpret for doctors. Thanks tho.