DCIS and radiation

[Dee T.]

I had my first mammo. in May, (I'm 41) no history of breast or any other cancer in my family. What was found was a 1.5 dcis, it was removed and the surgeon prescribed Tamoxafin, he alse sugessted I see an oncologist, which I did, and he sugessted radiation for 6 wks. I'm suposse to start today, I'm kind of scared and not sure if this is common practice since the surgeon did'nt seem to think it was that bad, he actually called it a non-cancer. Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated, Thanky you very much.

[CCF-RN,MSN-rf]

Dear DeeT:  DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) is the earliest stage at which breast cancer can be detected (Stage 0) and differs from invasive cancer in that it does not have the ability to metastasize or spread to other sites.  DCIS can recur locally following breast conserving surgery and the risk of recurrence in the breast can be significantly reduced with radiation therapy and further reduced with tamoxifen which also reduces the risk of a new cancer in the other breast.  Although risks and benefits of the various treatments must be determined on an individual basis, many women undergo radiation and take tamoxifen following surgery for DCIS.

[cinnamoncin]

I had dcis with lumpectomy and 6 weeks of radiation about this time last year.  The radiation wasn't bad for me at all.  I could not take the Tamoxifen however because of side effects.  Just had a clear mammogram last month.  Doing great.  Just hang in there.  Take good care of your skin during radiation.  Good luck to you.

[Sunday8995]

I was diagnosed with DCIS last month.  I will have a lumpectomy in several days.  Radiation may be necessary.  Would you please tell me how your breast looks  (size and color) after the lumpectomy and radiation?   What were the side effects of radiation for you?  My surgeon tells me that he will remove the tumor and a margin which will equal the size of a walnut.  How much was taken away from your breast?  I would really appreciate a response.

[losFeliz]

I had a lumpectomy for DCIS in March. Fortunately, I only had a tiny patch of DCIS in one area. Other than the scar, I can only see a small "dent" when I bend over and flex my arm muscles. The scar is about 2 inches long, and semi-circular. This is the most common incision for this type of surgery. The scar usually becomes almost invisible after a few years. Everyone is different. It depends from what area of the breast tissue is being removed, and "how much" you had to begin with. I am an average sized woman, and the lump was taken from the outer edge of the breast (if you were facing me, it would be on the right side -- my left breast -- at the 3 o'clock position.) Surgery was terrifying to me, but the result was almost imperceptible. Radiation, however, was another story for me. Results vary widely from radiation, and you would do well to read up on this. I am blonde with super sensitive skin. After 19 of the 35 prescribed treatments, I had to take 10 days off the rads because my skin became very burned, and the scar stretched out and turned quite brown. Don't get scared, though  -- EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT. A friend of mine, who is a redhead, had 35 hits of radiation, and had only mild irritation. Just be sure to ask questions, and be very proactive about your own treatments. There is an excellent product called Mederma for scars that works wonders. You can buy it over-the-counter, a bit pricey, but works miracles. Thank your lucky stars you "only" have a bit of DCIS. I know, I said to myself, "This is "luck? Getting any kind of cancer is luck? Haha!" But it really is, if you have no invasive cancer cells, clean surgical margins, and the DCIS was caught early. I had to learn to see it this way, because I have met a lot of people in the radiation waiting rooms who have MUCH worse problems than we do. Remember, if they remove the bad cells, and do radiation to kill any microscopic ones growing that they can't see, there is a 99.9% cure rate. Those are some ridiculously wonderful odds. You really are one of the lucky ones. As my surgeon said, if you had to get breast cancer, DCIS is the one to get. It ain't fun, but you with proper treatment, you should have a long life with a tiny scar at most. Take care, and good luck!

[Sunday8995]

I cannot even begin to tell you how torn I was between a mastectomy and a lumpectomy.  



My surgeon says he will take out a walnut sized tissue (DCIS plus margin) and that the incision will be a little longer than an inch.  You know what,  you and I have the exact same location DCIS and on the left breast too!  I'm only 5 feet tall with a B cup, so I guess I'm average like you.



I saw my plastic surgeon yesterday.  He described what a mastectomy would entail and he said to me that, given my choices, if I were his wife, he would ask me to go ahead with the lumpectomy.



That should have encouraged me to go with lumpectomy, right?  Right ...until I saw my 3 sisters in law, all working in the medical field, who described the awful effects of radiation.  So my heart sank.



Your comments are making me lean towards going with the original plan again.   The indecision is really more painful than anything I have ever been through.



My husband and 2 boys are begging me to stop thinking about "chopping off my breast and creating a fake one".



I'll probably have a nasty scar because I'm not fair like you.  And it's just too bad that the effects of radiation are permanent (you can't reconstruct after radiation?).



Thank you very much for your comments!

[okflier]

I think I would get a second opinion.  Walnut size is pretty big for a cancer in situ.  They are usually less than 2 cm or the size of a green pea.  Much larger than that they have most often invaded the tissue surrounding the tumor.



I have just received a diagnosis of invasive lobular breast cancer ILC.  (yes, two different cancers, but similar treatments relative to size).  My "known" tumor is just over 2 cm with 3 different measurements on ultrasound.  Just over the size of a pea.  I am a 34 B and petite.  I just spoke with my surgeon today and breast conserving surgery is "out" for me as he would have to remove too much tissue to leave me with anything that would even resemble a normal breast.  I have decided on mastectomy for a lot of reasons:  the size of the tumor and the necessity for tumor reduction chemo pre op, the nature of this kind of tumor, and down time.  I am single and self supporting.  I just cannot afford the down time of having chemo, surgery, chemo and radition over the course of 9 months to a year and still have the potential for a recurrence.  Plus my kind of tumor is not usually visible on mammogram when it is small.



If it matters, I am a RN.  My main priority in this is to LIVE.  If there is time to do a little research and get another opinion, that is what I would do.  I really feel that anyone who loves you will do so with or without a breast(s).