So Shocking!

safehaven123

I found out a week after New Years that I  have Ductal Carcinoma In- Situ(DCIS) Doctor saying its very tiny  in the fatty part of my breast . I spoke to the surgeon yesterday about the treatment plan. I will have a Lumpectomy. Take a anti-estrogen therapy pill for 5-10 years and radiation 5 days a week / x 3-6 weeks. I have been told that my treated breast will shrink due to radiation. Have anyone experienced this . I also want to get a second  opinion from a cancer specialist  with a excellent Track record about my treatment plan .I am in Winston Salem, NC area, Any suggestions!

Meow13

Is the radiation necessary for DCIS? I would get another opinion.

Georgia1

Hi there SafeHaven. I had three weeks of radiation and my breast looks exactly the same. My RO said that after six weeks, your expectation should be a few weeks of it being swollen and larger, followed by very, very slightly smaller and perkier. So the stories about "shrinkage" are a bit overblown; the risk is there but it is rare.

BarredOwl

I note the suggestion above to seek a second opinion re radiation (though not when to do so). If you prefer lumpectomy over mastectomy, and you are willing to receive radiation if indicated, then proceeding with lumpectomy at this time (without a second opinion) is a reasonable choice.

When pure DCIS is treated by lumpectomy, NCCN guidelines (Version 3.2017) include (citations omitted, bold added):

"Lumpectomy without lymph node surgery + whole breast radiation therapy with or without boost to tumor bed (category 1)"

or

Lumpectomy without lymph node surgery without radiation therapy (category 2B)

Note that lumpectomy plus radiation is the "stronger" NCCN recommendation being "category 1":

"Category 1: Based upon high-level evidence, there is uniform NCCN consensus that the intervention is appropriate."

"Category 2B: Based upon lower-level evidence, there is NCCN consensus that the intervention is appropriate."

Overall, lumpectomy alone (sometimes referred to as "excision alone") is less common than lumpectomy plus radiation for DCIS, and lumpectomy alone is considered in those at lower risk of recurrence.

After your lumpectomy, the surgical pathology results should better inform understanding of various factors that affect your recurrence risk in addition to age, such as the size of surgical margins, actual extent of DCIS, and grade (and hopefully confirm the absence of any invasive disease). With complete information in hand, you can consult with your current Radiation Oncologist again about your recurrence risk and the potential risk reduction benefit of radiation therapy, as well as specific regimen, and then, if of interest, seek a second opinion with a Radiation Oncologist at an independent institution.

BarredOwl

dtad

safehaven123...so sorry you have to be here but welcome. Just want to advise you to be treated at a major university teaching hospital or least get a second opinion. Good luck and keep us posted. We are all here for you.

Anonymous

My breast did not shrink after 25 radiation txs. A year after that I had a BMX/immediate reconstruction and the skin was fine and healthy.

mustlovepoodles

My sister had DCIS, treated with lumpectomy and radiation. Her breast remained the same and her scar is almost non-existent. Good luck!