Symptomatic DCIS

Hang in there. I was bleeding from the nipple for eight months until I was finally diagnosed with DCIS and mine ended up being stage 0, slow-growing, non-invasive, ER+, PR+. DCIS is not a death sentence, even if it is symptomatic...hope for the best!

hello

I ignored my lump (a nurse practitioner dismissed it and said it was nothing - so I ran with that) and it got big and it caused me pain and I eventually had nipple discharge. I talked myself into believing I had an infection. I had a sizable, painful lump with discharge.

Anyway, a biopsy proved DCIS - it was intermediate to high grade hormone receptor negative. Luckily DCIS is not deadly. These cells don't invade the rest of the body. Many people who have DCIS discover small spots from a mammo and get away with lumpectomy with radiation. Usually there is no hurry and you have time to learn about this condition - speak with your breast surgeon.

Good luck!

Did you have a biopsy? What exactly did the biopsy say? Are you seeing a breast surgeon? What operation? Lumpectomy? Are you having radiation? Did you have a more involved mammography? MRI?

DCIS sometimes just sits there and does nothing. But sometimes it changes and then you have problems. I would look into what you have closely and ask questions. I don't want to scare you -- like I said DCIS is not deadly. But some are more "aggressive" and change. When was the last time (before this) that you had a mammogram?

CK24: Nipple discharge could be due to other changes in the breast completely unrelated to your dcis. This means that your dcis may actually not be symptomatic. After my mx they noted lots of stuff. And I did have nipple discharge years earlier, but in the other breast. You can have a papiloma (hope that is close to correct) that causes discharge AND dcis. My mammogram that led to my dx, the technician thought she could feel a thickening. I told her that had always been there. Then when I was dx with dcis, I assumed she was correct. But in fact, the 'thickening" was no where near where the dcis was found. You are correct that being symptomatic can indicate more problematic dcis, however, it remains dcis and the vast majority never cause further problems. Your dx is extremely optimistic, but like you five years ago, I worried to the same extent. Now I am so relaxed about the whole ordeal and just wish I could bring some comfort to you at this time.

Is this a second biopsy of the area of concern? Hopefully you have a lot going on including swollen lymph node due to normal reasons.

Even though DCIS itself is not deadly it's still a pain in the butt. Due to my extensive DCIS (I had it in several parts of my breast including my nipple) and the fact that it was high grade the best choice for me was mastectomy. Life changing I guess but I'm on the other side of it now and looking forward to the future and putting this behind me.

Thinking of you because I know this beginning part is stressful. Good luck - post back with the results

Hello -- have you had your lymph node biopsy yet? Did you have an MRI of yor breasts? After my diagnosis of DCIS (from a biopsy) I had a MRI and that showed other areas of concern but also that most likely the lymph nodes were clear (and the final pathology confirmed all of this).

Of course you're going to be anxious. I had literal panic attacks but it came out about other things (worry for my children having nothing to do with possible cancer) where I couldn't breathe. I know it was the stress of trying to decide my course of treatment that brought them on. Ok. I just had to deal with it but I think it's normal to be anxious.

I had DCIS 3 yrs ago.Comedo type.stage 0.You think positive don't ever loose sight of that.It helps heal you.

Have your slides sent somewhere for a pathology second opinion.