DCIS and a new Dr.

agada

Hello,

I went to see my new oncologist for the second time and she was not there and had someone filling in for her.  He assured me that DCIS is not really cancer and wanted to know if my bilateral mastactemies were elective.  I said no, I was told I had cancer and since I had a high family death rate from breast cancer, and that I had so many areas of DCIS that I should opt for the mastectomies.  I also had some free tumour cells in two lymph nodes which the new Dr. said were just artifact from either surgery or biopsies.  I am beginning to wonder if doctors really know what they are doing anymore.  I don't think they do!  If I don't have real cancer then why am I going for follow up visits now?  Can I stop going?

Linda1966

I was diagnosed with DCIS but when I had the masectomy microinvasive cells were found - sounds enough like cancer for me. That Dr sounds like an ass and a dangerous one at that. Not wanting to be alarmist, but check and see on these forums as to how many ladies initially had DCIS and then went on to have IDC.

You had cells behaving in a nasty fashion contained within your milk ducts. Sometimes it eats through and gets into the lymphs and becomes IDC, sometimes it doesnt. Sometimes it caught in time, some times its not. Dr's dont hack our breasts off for no reason and that Oncologist should be shot for making you even think you went through all that you have for no good reason.

Personally Id be making an appointment to see your proper oncologist and letting her know exactly what this other dr told you and have her explain the reasons for your ongoing treatment and if warranted lodge a complaint against the other oncologist for his unprofessional attitude and advice.

J9W

I agree with Lynda. NEVER see that onc again - you don't need that kind of attitude.

Iz_and_Lys_Mum

Would he be so dismissive if there had been cancer cells knocking around in his,let's say for example, testicles? This kind of attitude really makes me so cross for you. DCIS is cancerous and this idiot should really be more careful. Love and hugs xxx

DiDel

Yes I too agree....find another NEW doctor. That behavior is unacceptable!! My onc one time went home early sick...after I waited 45 minutes..I get into the exam room...get undressed and the NP walks in to tell me she will be seeing me and that they cant find my blood work. OMG I let them have it. I called the hospital administrator the next day and unloaded. First of all I understand doctors are human and get sick...but in the future I am not the patient that wants to see the NP in place of the onc that I waited three months to see..and they lost my lab report. I made them reimburse me my $50 co-pay and (after other incidents by his terrible staff) I let him know I was not even a little bit happy. Unfortunately he is a great doctor but his staff is terrrrrrrible.

This will be your doctor for a very long time..you need to be happy and comfortable with them,

Hang in there you will find someone you click with and they will put you at ease

Diane

Beesie

Okay, so DCIS is not cancer.  

And the cancer cells found on your nodes were simply artifacts left there following your surgery or biopsies.

But wait.... if the surgery/biopsies were done on a breast with no cancer, how could they result in artifact cancer cells being left on your nodes?

Call your regular oncologist and tell her that the oncologist who filled in for her during your last visit is an idiot and that you never want to be pushed off onto this doctor again. 

Iz_and_Lys_Mum

There's a thread over on the relationships etc board called 'The dumbest things people have said to you/about you'. This definitely qualifies :-) x

cinnamonsmiles

In the summer of 2011, after a BMX resulting in severe pmps, I went to see a new ob-gyn. We were discussing my DCIS in which she got all haughty and up in my face arguing that DCIS was not cancer. IF DCIS is not cancer, why do women go through all the treatments we do for DICS when in their idiotic opinion is the same atypical ductal hyperplasia....I gave her the facts, told her even her head of oncology classifies DCIS as a cance. Then I told her that if that was her archaic view of DCIS she was fired and I walked out. Do the same to that moron. I agree to definitely report his rotten behavior not only to his partner, but his boss. I do that now. Skip the patient advocates and go right to the boss. Gets the message across.

cycle-path

"Call your regular oncologist and tell her that the oncologist who filled in for her during your last visit is an idiot and that you never want to be pushed off onto this doctor again." 

I completely agree with this and the other similar sentiments. Your regular doc deserves to know what happened so that her future patients won't have this problem! 

agada

Thank you for your help.  Yeah, how can tumour cells be artifact?

Agada

cycle-path

Well, tumor cells can be artifacts, since artifact basically means "left over." But left over from what? And why?

Lifeafter

WOW! Do we have the same dr?! I had a similar experience last week with my dr. I don't remember where I posted about what happened. If you click on my name and see my posts you should see it. Same thing with me also on the cancer cells found in my nodes! When I asked to have this explained and what my follow ups were. He said, nothing...if it comes back it comes back, you die.



I'm seeing a new oncologist in two weeks. I want to go over my path report with a fine tooth comb. I was SOOOOOOO pissed. This oncologist comes highly recommended. I'm hoping he is able to assure me all oncologists are not ASSES.



Michelle

agada

That sounds like it was a big mess for you!  I don't know if I will go back to an oncologist again.  I don't think they do anything but check to see if you are alive after a 6 month waiting period.  I wonder if anyone else with DCIS has stopped seeing their oncologist? 

Linda1966

Agada according to your diagnosis you had 2 nodes from 6 tested being involved. You also had grade 1 hormone reaction so please see a competent oncologist and find out exactly what your situation, prognosis and treatment plan should be and then make an educated decision on your future care. If nothing else the oncologist or your BS have to schedule annual mammograms and ultrasounds for the next few years I would have thought. 

Lifeafter

I'm seeing a new oncologist in a couple weeks.  Mine told me at my six month check up there was nothing to monitor. If it comes back it, it comes back and it will get me.  Really? That's what they pay you for? You get to wear a white coat and tell your cancer patients there isn't much to do so stop being a paranoid female and go home?

Yes...he called me a paranoid female, not in those two short words he coated it nicely.  He said, upon me asking questions about my path report and follow ups...Well, there are women who get paranoid and want...all I heard was blah blah blah blah after that.

Really?  I felt like going all Kathy Bates in Misery on him at the point...yelling Mr Man and tying him up on the table and hobbling him!  His balls, not his feet, it would have been more fitting.

Michelle

cycle-path

Woohoo Michelle! I think I might have paid to see that!

Lifeafter

:-)

agada

A paranoid female.  Oy, sometimes I wonder if the doctors skipped the class on treating patients like human beings!

Agada

Lifeafter

I think some male doctors are still adhering to 19th Century medicine.  If we are asking questions, we must be having the vapors..

agada

OMG I have not heard anyone use "the vapors" in so long!  Too funny.

Agada

dsj

Just want to say that some oncologists consider DCIS pre-cancer. The terminology doesn't in my view, make the oncologist incompetent. There are professional disputes about these sort of things in all fields. What counts is what the doctor does. My oncologist, who is the most proactive physician on my team says I did not have cancer. Neverthless he insists on a professional breast exam every 3 months, pushed me to take tamoxifen (and change my anti-depressant), orders my annual mammogram and DEXA, and monitors my vitamin D levels (which he says aids in the effectiveness of tamoxifen). I don't care what he calls my condition; I care that he treats me humanely (talks through my concerns) and according to latest protocols.



Which is not to say that I think one should put up with a dismissive physician, no matter what school of thought he belongs to.

agada

I wish I had your Doc!!

Agada

frywoman

Me. I stopped seeing mine and my surgeon who was a general surgeon not a breast surgeon because of the same kind of attitude. I had a list of questions and concerns after my double mx with less than 1 mm margins near the chest wall and they both made feel as if they invisibly rolled their eyes. My obgyn had the same cancer as I had and I have seen her instead every year for a complete blood work looking for cancer markers and all kinds of moral support. During my exams with my surgeon he checke my vitals looked at my breasts and suggested I could ask my PS for more nippe projection, shirked off my concerns and focused on whether i had had a colonoscopy. I was 44 at the time, and I had. I have never felt so alone in my life as dealing with this team of doctors who I was initially so grateful to for saving my life. I felt rather betrayed.

Of course, now I am faced with swollen lymph nodes in my armpit of the cancer side and kind of desperately wishing that I had someone on a cancer team to talk to. But I am back to my obgym next week to get an ultrasound order instead. At least I know she will be appropriately concerned.

xocwjjb

Frywoman: perhaps your empathetic ob/gyn could refer you to a different oncologist, so that you can start building a new relationship.  Just a thought. 

Wishing you good outcomes with the swollen lymph nodes.

Caroline