'I haven't had breast cancer but I've had a mastectomy anyway': do women with ductal carcinoma in situhave appearance concerns?

Excerpt

This study explored the psychosocial impact of being diagnosed and treated for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), with the aim to improve the current knowledge and understanding of DCIS from the patient's perspective. DCIS is a preinvasive breast condition increasingly detected by mammogram screening and has an uncertain natural history (some DCIS cells may develop into invasive cancer, but there is no marker to determine which DCIS cells will). Although DCIS is not an invasive condition, many women undergo extensive surgery (including mastectomy); therefore, this is a paradoxical situation — these women are reassured that it is noninvasive, caught early and not life-threatening, but they are offered similar treatment as women with invasive breast cancer. The presentation aims to disseminate the initial findings of an exploratory qualitative study. …