Understanding DCIS
- Causes of DCIS
- Genetic Testing
- Self Advocacy
- Decisions
- Screening
- Getting a Biopsy
- When DCIS is Diagnosed
- Getting a Second Opinion
- Psychological Impact
- Understanding Risk
- Treatment

Dictionary

FAQ's

Resources

References

Acknowledgements

When DCIS is Diagnosed

Below is a list of actions to take that will help you understand your diagnosis and the decisions you will need to make.

• Be sure you have the right doctor — one who knows DCIS, one you trust, and one with whom you can communicate. Many women are confused about the kind of doctor they need — is it a surgeon, a radiation therapist and/or a medical oncologist? Depending upon the treatment you choose, you will need two or maybe all three of these specialties. Because DCIS is usually treated with surgery and/or radiation, you may not need to see a medical oncologist. However, if you choose to take tamoxifen or other chemo-preventive medication, you will want to talk with a medical oncologist.
• Know what your diagnosis is. If you don't understand it, ask your doctor to write it down. Search for reliable, credible information — go to a local health library or to reputable web sites.
• Know how much DCIS there is. Is it only in one place? Is it in several places? In one breast or both? And what size is the DCIS?
• Know whether all the DCIS tissue was removed during the biopsy. Was any of it close to the edges or margins of the tissue sample that was taken for the biopsy?
• Know what kind of DCIS it is.
• Know what your treatment options are.
• Find out what the risk of recurrence is after each of the available treatment options.
• Know what kind of post-treatment follow-up is suggested.
• Get second opinions — for your mammogram, your biopsy, and your treatment options. You want a second opinion from someone who frequently deals with your kind of cancer.
• If possible, seek a second opinion before starting your treatment.
• It's not uncommon to get different opinions from different types of doctors who specialize in cancer, called oncologists. There are surgical oncologists (cancer surgeons), radiation oncologists (who specialize in the use of radiation for treating cancer), and medical oncologists (who use drugs (chemotherapy) to treat cancer). In addition, there are specialists in different kinds of cancer pathology.

A good source of high-quality information is the National Cancer Institute's toll-free Cancer Information Service (1-800-4-CANCER). In addition, there are treatment guidelines available on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) web site at www.nccn.org.