Halifax woman waited 3 years for MRI that showed she had brain tumour

A Halifax resident is frustrated after waiting more than three years for an MRI that showed a benign brain tumour and she's worried others are suffering because of an inefficient system.

A doctor at a hospital eye clinic referred Marina Atwell for diagnostic imaging of her brain in June 2021, a few months after a routine eye test detected one of her eyes was significantly weaker. She waited more than three years to learn that the problem, which was affecting her vision, was a growth impacting her optical nerve. 

"I'm told that I have a two-centimetre tumour on my brain. And so I'm a little bit stressed at this point because how long [has] it been there? How fast is it growing?" she said.

"When you hear those words, brain tumour, it's like you're written off. That's what I felt."

While Atwell's condition is stable and the tumour won't be removed because of its size and location, she said nobody has explained why it took so long to get the MRI that helped diagnose her.

She is also questioning why she was offered two MRIs in the months after she finally got the crucial appointment.

Atwell's wait was longer than typical for an MRI referral. The Nova Scotia Health Authority's website says 90 per cent of MRI referrals are served within 435 days— that's a little over 14 months. In Nova Scotia, there were 25,565 patients on the MRI waitlist in November, excluding patients referred for an MRI at the IWK.

However, that wait is still too long, according to the Canadian Association of Radiologists. It recommends that patients should not wait more than 60 days for a non-urgent MRI.

"Our professionals who are trying to get us the tests are probably as frustrated as the patients waiting to get the tests," said Atwell. 

Ania Kielar, president of the Canadian Association of Radiologists, said MRIs are often critical for a diagnosis, and even when they are not considered urgent, delaying the process could cause people's conditions to worsen.

"Many conditions, if they are left untreated, end up with a lot worse prognosis and worse outcomes for patients." 

Kielar said the wait, and the anxiety of not knowing what is wrong, should not be overlooked. 

"If you have to wait six months to a year to get an MRI, by then you have either improved or there's going to be some negative consequences for you," she said. "So it's really unacceptable for people to have to wait that long."

Atwell said when she was first referred she offered to go anywhere in the province "at the drop of a hat" and checked in numerous times on the status of her appointment.