Info found by googling "ductal carcinoma in situ":
DCIS With a mastectomy, I will only need radiation if there is cancer on the edges after removal of the breast. About 25 to 50% of DCIS come back as an invasive cancer. That's not happymaking. (no other site I have found is this pessimistic. From what I've read, especially because I need the mastectomy, there's actually not a lot of chance of recurrence. There is a higher chance with a lumpectomy, which makes sense. That does help me breathe easier.) It reads, though, like removal of the breast reduces that chance. They may take a "sentinel lymph node" for pathology to make sure it hasn't spread.
"Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is the earliest possible clinical diagnosis of breast cancer..." "If DCIS is untreated, approximately 30 percent of patients will develop invasive breast cancer an average of 10 years from the initial diagnosis....DCIS can be thought of as a pre-cancerous or early-stage growth of abnormal cells in the ducts of the breast. Historically, DCIS was an extremely uncommon finding in women and little attention was given to defining its optimal treatment. This is because DCIS can be cured almost 100 percent of the time with a surgical mastectomy." Those odds are a little more pleasant. I know I have to talk to the doctor to determine my individual risk.
The American Cancer Society estimates that 41,000 news cases of ductal carcinoma in situ ... will be diagnosed in 2000, making DCIS the most common type of non-invasive breast cancer in women. DCIS accounts for nearly 25% of all breast cancer diagnoses.
"DCIS may appear on a mammogram as tiny specks of calcium (called microcalcifications), generally too small to notice by physical examination."
That's exactly what was on my mammogram. This article says that this diagnosis is not an emergency situation; a woman has time to educate herself before surgery. I think I might be in a bit of a hurry, but I'm also educating myself before seeing the doctor on Monday.
I already know that I will not opt for reconstructive surgery. The family is fine with that, so I will just get a prosthesis. Less surgery, less hassle. I can always choose it later if it bothers me, but I've thought for years that if I had to lose a breast (or both) I would not reconstruct.
" Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a noninvasive, precancerous condition." The doc said it was cancer, I'll go with that. I don't know what type of DCIS it is, but the doc said it wasn't the last stage, so it isn't "comedo." Several places, this one included, talk about "breast conserving surgery." I saw the mammogram. It isn't localized. Sounds like the chances of recurrence after mastectomy are much less, too.
"We know, in fact, that if a total mastectomy is done (the breast alone), the cure rate for any type of DCIS, no matter the grade or size, approaches 100%." (About a third of the way down.) Sounds like even if it were less spread out, i might lean towards mastectomy anyway.
Many of the articles talk about the psychological impact of waking up with a breast gone. OK, so it's entirely possible I'm weird, but to me if that breast contains something that could kill me if I leave it alone, I'd rather have it gone. And with a family history, I guess the possibility of losing a breast has been something I've always had in the back of my mind, so that part isn't a shock.
That's enough for now. I'm tired, and now I need specific information instead of general. That, unfortunately, has to wait till Monday.
About Me
- Alia
- I have the invisible disabilities of Major Depression, anxiety, and PTSD. I also have visible disabilities: severe osteoarthritis in my knees, muscle spasms degenerative disc disease, and peripheral neuropathy. The doc says the PN is mechanical. I have diabetes and PCOS. In April 2007, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I use a power wheelchair for anything outside the house. Sometimes I use a cane. This blog is for my crochet adventures, my gimp adventures, and surviving medical intervention. If you are not disabled, but know someone who is, and don't understand why they are limited in what they can do, I highly recommend that you go to http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/ and click on "The Spoon Theory." I am Wiccan and Witch, head of a Wiccan church here in Denver. My wand is a Size S (3/4" diameter) crochet hook. I have a tendency to speak my Truth. This has made me enemies as well as friends. The anger and dislike of my "enemies" does not impact me; I care not what they think. What matters to me is what I think, my family thinks, and what my friends and those I respect think.
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