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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
Psychological Impact
For many women, going for a routine mammogram is anxiety-producing. Waiting for results, talking with doctors using a vocabulary that you have never used before, and dealing with body-altering decisions and treatments is very, very difficult. A diagnosis of DCIS complicates your state of mind further, because it is not an invasive cancer at present but could be in the future. The uncertainty of the diagnosis undermines your security.
Not surprisingly, each individual responds differently to a DCIS diagnosis. Each person brings with her different experiences about cancer, life, bad news, health, religion, and so forth. It is not just the diagnosis that you have to address, but also the treatment options, a frequently hurried or hectic medical system, financial issues, and family concerns. For some women, it is frustrating, confusing and very frightening. Others deal with it as just another hurdle in life.
For the woman with DCIS, the diagnosis of non-invasive breast cancer may be very frightening, but friends, family members or even the medical professional may see this diagnosis as "a good one," and fail to appreciate the anxiety you are experiencing.
You may have been great at confronting life's challenges before your diagnosis, but controlling your stress is now hard because you're scared.
Many women have a sense of betrayal by their bodies. They have taken good care of themselves and yet they still have this breast cancer problem.
A woman's response to the diagnosis of DCIS is very personal. We hope that women and their spouses/partners will identify appropriate support for their needs — a support group, therapist, physician, social worker, friends, church, nature, or whatever brings a sense of being understood and valued.
A diagnosis of DCIS can create many misunderstandings among loved ones, including partners and spouses. Talk about your feelings. Are you concerned about side effects of treatment? Do you fear that you will lose the sexual relationship you share? Are you worried about how you will look? Talk about these concerns at the beginning of the process so that both physical and emotional healing can take place.
If you are taking tamoxifen, raloxifene or another estrogen-blocking drug for the treatment of DCIS or prevention of breast cancer, you may experience depression related to the drug. These drugs may also produce other side effects such as sleep disturbances, night sweats, increase in joint pain, vaginal dryness, vision changes or hot flashes. Discuss potential side effects with your physician or other health care provider.
