Psycho-oncology Resourses and Tools

Psycho-oncology (UK) Information & Help

Resources for organizations, health professionals, patients and families relating to psychological aspects of cancer care

Ductal carcinoma in situ - Patient Narratives (c) www.healthtalkonline.org

1.	What is ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)?
	A doctor explains what DCIS is.
	A doctor explains why DCIS is treated by either wide local excision or mastectomy.
	A doctor explains more about the different grades of DCIS.
	Sue had not heard of DCIS before her own diagnosis.
	Pam had only come across DCIS because her mother was diagnosed with it several years earlier.
	Ann wondered if she’d had symptoms but had pushed them to the back of her mind. She thought she’d have a lump if there was anything wrong.
2.	Discovery and diagnosis: Feelings about the diagnosis
	Gillian was with her husband when she was told she had DCIS. She was shocked, scared and, later, tearful. She found it hard to talk to anyone and felt short-tempered.
	The word ‘cancer’ frightened Jacky. She knew nothing about DCIS and desperately wanted to understand what it was.
	Di had been fit and healthy and was shocked to hear she would need a mastectomy for a precancerous condition. She was being given lots of information but could hardly take it all in.
	Jane reacted by looking for more information and found it reassuring. She advises other women not to spend too much time looking for information on the internet because it can be worrying
	Beverley feared the worst because the doctor found a lump when she was recalled after a routine mammogram. She was relieved to hear hear that, unusually for a lump, it was non-invasive.
	Elizabeth, a nurse, chose not to tell many people because she said the word ‘cancer’ frightens and upsets people. Work helped her cope because it kept her busy
	Jane said the doctor explained what DCIS was so well and calmly, she thought it couldn’t be very serious. She wondered if there was any need to tell her husband.
	Jo’s main concern was her young children. She was breast-feeding and had to wean her baby off breast milk.
	Sandy said she ‘never shed a tear’ when she was diagnosed. She wanted to get on with the treatment. In some ways, it was harder for her best friend.
	Beverley felt depressed after surgery, when she had time to think about everything she’d been through. Going back to work helped
	After surgery, Agnes felt a sense of loss because part of her breast had been removed.
	Eileen felt embarrassed and guilty. Although invasive breast cancer is more serious than DCIS, she still had a mastectomy and found it hard to feel lucky she ‘only’ had DCIS.
	Sandra feels that it is sometimes harder to be diagnosed with DCIS than invasive breast cancer, especially for women who need a mastectomy.
	A doctor talks about DCIS and recurrence.
3.	Treatments and their impacts: Feelings about having a wide local excision
	Sue felt positive about having a wide local excision because of what her doctor had told her and what she’d read on the internet.
	Carol’s doctor reassured her that a mastectomy was unnecessary for the small area of DCIS she had.
	After talking to the nurse and doing her own research, Agnes chose a wide local excision. She felt a mastectomy was too drastic for a non-invasive condition
	Hazel declined to take part in a trial because she didn’t have the information she needed. She felt doctors didn’t know enough about the best way to treat DCIS.
4.	Treatments and their impacts: Feelings about having a mastectomy
	Ann fainted when doctors told her she’d need a mastectomy. She’d expected nothing to be wrong and was extremely shocked.
	Jane accepted that a mastectomy would be the best treatment for her because her DCIS was so widespread. Her main concern was having it all removed.
	Patricia knew straight away that she would prefer a mastectomy and was pleased with how the operation went.
	Patricia decided to have her remaining breast removed because she wanted to reduce her chances of getting breast cancer again. She would also feel more balanced instead of ‘lop-sided’.
	Maisie had both her breasts removed and reconstructed at the same time. She was happy with this decision because she was concerned to have all the cancer removed.
	Trish agreed with the doctor’s advice but, later, felt upset about having a mastectomy and really didn’t want one.
	Sandra was glad she could have an immediate reconstruction and felt lucky the DCIS had been picked up early.
	Linda felt shocked and numb at the thought of having a mastectomy. She felt she had no choice and no control over the decision.
	Eileen was shocked to hear she’d need a mastectomy for DCIS and to learn that DCIS is a complex condition that doctors don’t yet fully understand.
	Di couldn’t believe she needed a mastectomy for a precancerous condition that might never develop. Doctors were unable to answer the questions she had until after surgery.
	A doctor explains why a mastectomy is recommended for some women with DCIS.
	Felicity had two excisions but, because there were no clear margins, she had a mastectomy shortly afterwards. Talking to another woman with DCIS helped her make her decision.
	Gillian would have liked more information about the surgical options from a health professional. After talking to the doctor about how another excision would look, she opted for a mastectomy.
	Liz felt that a mastectomy would be the best option for her because she had widespread high-grade DCIS. She didn’t want several excisions and was happy with her doctor’s recommendation.
	Janet was shocked when she had a recurrence of DCIS. She had a mastectomy and was pleased to hear there was still no invasive breast cancer.