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I'm seeing a lot of misunderstanding here of this news too. I don't think the "watch & wait" idea was intended for high grade, comedonecrotic, large areas, etc. MAYBE small, low grade. It's like some of them only heard DCIS and none of the nuances

My husband kind of questioned me about it after reading one of those articles, but when I gave him more information about the whole issue he did understand. I didn't make a point of saying DCIS to anyone else - just “breast cancer which was fortunately caught very early" since I knew about the micro-invasion from the get-go, and figured it was not really any of their business what my specific diagnosis was.

That's pretty much how my doctors described it anyway, as they felt since I had such a tiny area of DCIS that was already breaking through, if it hadn't been found when it was they wouldn't have thought about it as DCIS at all as that tiny portion would most likely have been subsumed into the invasive tumor and not really been noticed.

I think DCIS, like breast cancer, is a term that encompasses many different diagnoses and generalizations about diagnoses or treatments make little sense.

Percy I've been thinking about it too. Couldn't you show her some of your office visit notes or pathology reports to prove to her? Or maybe an article on treatment for you dx? Also just thoughts. Kids! I can relate.

Wow, percy4, you are facing a very difficult challenge, indeed. If I were you, I would not try to convince your daughter that you had breast cancer. The smirk was a very rude action, period. Your daughter is not willing or ready to hear the truth. My family said I was lying about the fibromyalgia and Lyme disease, and this went on for years even after the Social Security Disability Board sent me to independent physicians who determined that I was disabled. My brother changed his tune after he started having nerve pain. As for your daughter's unwillingness to get mammograms, I suspect she is frightened. All you can do is to be a good role model. Some people tend to shut out good advice, and there is not much you can do besides give your daughter some educational materials and maybe talk lightly about why mammograms are important if your daughter seems receptive.She would probably listen to someone her own age, but it is dicey. I wish you the best.

I would add that even without any sign of invasion (micro or otherwise), DCIS is considered malignant (cancer), which gets back to what MelissaDallas said above: the specific pathological features that consistently and reliably establish "low risk" disease are not well-characterized.

The popular press stories do not go very deep. For example, the observations that raised the question of potential over-treatment in a widely varied patient population are not necessarily proof of over-treatment in any particular sub-group or case. Importantly, such observations do not establish that more limited treatment regimens would be safe and effective compared with standard treatments for some or all. Studies are being initiated now.

BarredOwl

My oldest daughter still trivializes my cancer (or rather, her higher risk) and I'm stage IV IBC. It hardly gets worse than that, but the way she handles it is that 'they cure cancer all the time' and 'mom, you look really good'. I swear I'll be dead for a month before she even realizes it.

My younger daughter is much more sensible--she does recognize her higher risk and is on it all the time.

So, our kids seem to have their ways of coping. Some make too much out of too little, and some make too little out of too much.