Gynecologist tried to convince me I have breast cancer

Lea7777

I just saw a new gynecologist, recommended by a friend, who reviewed my health history and asked me about my "breast cancer." I informed her I have never had breast cancer, just Lobular Carcinoma in Situ (LCIS) and other atypia. I thought perhaps the wrong box had been checked on my chart.

The gynecologist proceeded to tell me LCIS was indeed very early stage cancer. I protested her conclusion and stated I was exceptionally well researched on this topic and that LCIS was atypical hyperplasia; it is not cancer but I acknowledged it increased my risk for breast cancer. The gyno persisted in a kindly manner with her cancer talk insisting I had breast cancer.

So I just dropped it. She is retiring soon anyway. (Meaning I'll be off to yet another gyno.) But the point is LCIS can confuse not only laypeople but the medical professionals we rely on to give us the correct info. I was a little shocked at this to be honest. And I was thinking that some poor woman who is very ill-informed might leave that gynecologist's office in a panic thinking she has had breast cancer all this time.

MelissaDallas

I wish everyone would jump on the "lobular neoplasia" bandwagon and stop using "LCIS." It would help people understand it a lot better.

rtucker

Hi Lea,

That is crazy what you just experienced. That doctor only knows the bottom part of the woman’s anatomy. LCIS again which we all know is a risk factor and dcis is handled differently but is considered some what cancer because of radiation is considered. Thanks for sharing! Rtucker

leaf

Good golly, Lea! What a shocker! I'm so glad you are well researched.

One doc thought I was in De-Nile when I told him I had LCIS (and what LCIS stood for), but I forgave him since he was a neurologist. I tried to think of a kind way to tell him he was all wet.

Best wishes on finding a kind _and_ knowledgeable gyne.

BevJen

Lea,

You mentioned the magic words -- she is about to retire soon.

She is actually not incorrect. I was originally diagnosed with LCIS in 1990 or so. I actually went to G'town for a second opinion, and was told by a LEADING oncologist there -- you have breast cancer. In the 1990s, LCIS WAS considered BC by most practitioners in the US. At that time, I was actually told to have a bilateral mastectomy -- for LCIS -- by this oncologist at G'town who is still practicing and is well respected.

Of course, the opinion on this has changed, and now LCIS is seen as a marker for invasive breast cancer. And of course, your doc should not be clinging to this old information. But there you have it.

HelloItsMe789

I was originally diagnosed with (P)LCIS and my gyn's office told me I'd have to have chemo or radiation after surgery.

AliceBastable

I've noticed in the news stories on FBabout Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson testing positive for the coronavirus that people in the comments say "OMG she had cancer and her system can't handle it!!!" Turns out she had LCIS several years ago, surgery, done. But part of the problem is she calls it cancer. When I corrected some people, I got called a heartless bitch for not getting all weepy for CANCER SURVIVOR WOMAN. Blech. 🙄

wallycat

Many women who have DCIS do bmx, so it doesn't surprise me that LCIS would garner the same possibilities.

Stage 0 or pre-cancer or ??? just too many names for things. How different is ADH from LCIS...even I'm not that well versed on this because the docs aren't on the same page.

farmerlucy

re: Rita Wilson - Dr David Agus stated yesterday that both she and Tom were in a high risk for CV category. Even if she'd had invasive cancer I don't think that automatically throws her in the CV hi-risk pool unless she is currently doing chemo or immuno therapy but I don't know for sure. I certainly don't feel like that throws me into a high risk CV pool.

farmerlucy

My gyn said Tamoxifen increases your risk of endometrial cancer by 5%. That's not correct either.

Beesie

I believe Rita Wilson is a couple of years out of treatment, so I was surprised to hear a news report that she is high risk. I wouldn't expect that to be the case for someone well past active treatment (endocrine therapy not counting as active treatment).

As for her diagnosis, she did have LCIS, and had high risk monitoring for years - and never went public about that. But then she was diagnosed with ILC, at which point she had a BMX and announced it publicly.

https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/celebrities/rita-wilson-undergoes-mastectomy-after-breast-cancer-diagnosis-1.10263025

AliceBastable

Hmm, when I googled her name, it only mentioned the LCIS.

MelissaDallas

She did have ILC after being monitored for LCIS

https://www.survivornet.com/articles/academy-award-winner-tom-hanks-wife-rita-wilson-on-her-cancer-experience-options-for-stage-zero-breast-cancer/

santabarbarian

She might have asthma, or something else that's a risk....

Beesie

The news report I heard specifically stated that Rita Wilson was high risk because she's had breast cancer. And Tom Hanks because he is diabetic. And both because they are older - both of them are 63. Just ancient.

AliceBastable

My gripe with the news report and the reactions to it was that too many people made it sound like they were frail old geezers with death's-door health conditions. People in ACTIVE treatment for cancer, or recovering from recent active treatment, are in a different category than people who HAD cancer at one time. And insulin-dependent diabetics with diabetic-related conditions are in a different category than people who pop a Metformin once a day but don't have to do anything else.

Beesie

AliceBastable, I agree completely. I'm the same age as Rita and Tom. And I've had cancer. But I'm definitely not a frail old geezer. And neither are those two, based on their appearance and activity levels. I thought the news report was irresponsible. There are so many questions about coronavirus and who is at risk, and the report was raising concerns for a lot of people who probably have no reason to be concerned. They should have said nothing about Rita and Tom's cancer and diabetes presenting a higher risk, or they should have provided more detailed information to explain under what circumstances these conditions do increase risk, and when it would be of no concern or little concern.

windingshores

People with type 1 diabetes on insulin who are well-controlled and don't have complications are healthier than type 2's popping metformin daily if they do have complications. The difference between the two in the context of the COVID-19 crisis is that hospitals know NOTHING about type 1 and have NO idea how to manage it. Management is ALWAYS very intensive and when sick even more so.

edwards750

I heard several medical experts say there are three common factors they are seeing more than others with people who have contracted the virus - obesity, high BP and diabetes.

Diane

Lea7777

I have heard anecdotally, from a nurse I know, that those factors--obesity, high BP and diabetes--were responsible for the deaths she has seen. In fact, she had not seen anyone die who did not have one of those factors. But that's one medical professional's observation. And we do know that a variety of people are getting and dying from covid.

Stay well.

Salamandra

This article talks about how doctors are observing that vascular factors in general more so than lung issues specifically seem to be associated with higher mortality. Like at first, they expected that people with asthma would be at higher risk, but in practice diabetes and high blood pressure and renal damage are often showing up.

It is also a very thoughtful and careful article that lays out how much science still doesn't know and doesn't understand about the virus.

How does coronavirus kill? Clinicians trace a ferocious rampage through the body, from brain to toes

I think there will be a lot of deaths at home that it will take more time to account for and understand. Heart attacks, blot clots in the brain, etc.