Just Diagnosed with DCIS - looking for your help

Dear Loloshortrider,

Welcome to the BCO community. We are sorry for what brings you here. We are so glad that you reached out to our members for support and information. While you are waiting for others to chime in with their suggestions and experiences take a look at this link that offers a comprehensive list of questions to prepare for your surgeon. We hope that you will keep us posted as you learn more and let us know how we can best support you on your journey.

The Mods

lolo - Sorry no one jumped in. Did you have your doc appointment? Please do send an update.

There are lots of threads you can read here to pick up ideas - surgery threads, chemo threads, radiation threads. But until you have a more clear diagnosis it's hard to recommend just what. The doc may recommend lumpectomy which usually includes radiation. If it's pure DCIS, probably not chemo - depending on what they find in the operating room. If you have a mastectomy, you may not need any other treatment. Then you have to decide - one or both. Will they do a serial node biopsy in any case?

I had DCIS and choose to have a bilateral mastectomy. DCIS was still considered a "real" cancer at the time. My decision was based on YEARS of mammograms since I was in my 20s, with a call back every single year for more films & an ultrasound. Needless to say, I had dense, fibercystic breasts. I was unwilling to continue living on the edge all the time. I just wanted everything gone. As it turned out, they found extensive DCIS in the other breast during surgery so I've always been glad of my choice.

My choice was also partly based on my age (you didn't list yours) and the fact that I was in great health to withstand the surgery.

Hi Loloshortrider. I'm glad you found your way to this great group and I'm sorry for your diagnosis. Getting this shocking news knocks you off your feet a bit. There is a lot of great information at breastcancerorg and the members who participate in these forums share so much information. Just keep in mind that we are all different even those of us who have very similar diagnoses. Once you get all the information about your specific diagnosis from your pathology report you will have researched viable options.

I had genetic testing done as there was other cancer in my family so I wanted to know if I had any gene mutations. It came back negative for 67 genes which just means that my cancer is not genetic. I waited for those results to make a decision about my surgery options.

Your DCIS is a good sized area at 17 X 14mm. Did your breast surgeon say you are welcome to get a second opinion or recommend that you consult with a plastic surgeon to discuss surgery options? Never a bad idea.

After meeting with my breast surgeon and a plastic surgeon I decided to have a lumpectomy along WITH oncoplastic surgery. He is going to work on both breasts because my right (unaffected) breast is considerably larger than the left so in addition to lumpectomy and oncoplastic repair of the left, my right will be reduced so I will have symmetry. Insurance will pay for this. Radiation typically reduces/shrinks the treated breast about 10% so taking that into consideration, the plastic surgeon will reshape and lift both breasts to match. This is all done in one surgery. As long as you have enough breast tissue, oncoplastic surgery also allows your breast surgeon to get very generous margins when he does the lumpectomy. About 4-6 weeks later I will have radiation treatment. Due to my cancer being fueled by estrogen, I'll also take endocrine therapy. Both the radiation and the endocrine therapy reduces the odds of more DCIS developing and/or another episode of breast cancer. You can read more about breast cancer and whether oncoplastic surgery could be an option to discuss with your surgeons at this site. www.breast360.org

Keep us posted on how things are going for you. Blessings and best wishes.