Finding malignancy post-surgery: How it can happen 

I'm glad you listened to your body and had your issue dealt with before it became cancerous.

It happens to everybody who has surgery. They checked in the operating room from a small tissue, got the results right away. But the rest of tissues taken out was sent to the pathology department where EVRYTHING WAS examined carefully and very often they find something that they did not find from the examination done during the surgery. That happened to me. In my first mammogram they found calcifications in ONE of my breasts, they did biopsy. It was negative of cancer in the operating room when they examined a part of the tissue taken, but weeks later my surgeon told my family doctor that cancer cells were found, so NEW decisions had to be made. I decided to have double mastectomy after I asked different doctors, friends, and my doctor also provided professional magazines' clippings and additional explanations what they all mean. I am happy that I made that decision, because the other breast that did not even show calcification very clearly--I had a friend who was a nurse, whose friend was a medical doctor, asked my doctor for the copies of mammograms sent to him, and he found a small dot of calcification that the radiologist in the hospital where I was treated had missed in the other breast.

She went in for a procedure that was not thought to be cancerous. It seems that pathology detected that cancer was indeed present. This is not uncommon. Nor does it say anything negative about the clinic or doctors that cared for Catherine. This is why sending what was removed to pathology is standard practice.

I'm glad to hear that!

This segment seems more to be spreading awareness on health using her story. Probably the best way to cover this story after the fact as it helps spread awareness. Good on GMA I say.

Many people in the U.K. who opt for private insurance also don't have to wait for elective surgery.

We don't know how long ago Catherine's procedure was planned. No one that would know has described her surgery as elective.

@@Lovesapuzzle It was announced that her surgery was planned/elective. It couldn’t have been planned that far ahead bc some engagements were cancelled.

Not all cancers are the same. Some cancers can be detected visually or by testing in the surgical suite. Other cancers can only be detected by a pathologists more detailed examination. Those pathology tests take time.

Did you undergo chemo?

She said she has cancer....and looks extremely ill

She said cancer had been present. Chemo is preventative. She doesn't have cancer.

​@@mariadominguez116cancer had been present, yet she doesn't have cancer. Did it just pop in for dinner?

I'm glad you had your problem taken care of and are well today. I too believe Catherine will be OK. It's just a lot to deal with especially when one has young children to worry about.