Hi all,
My name is Chris and I live in Bangkok. My Thai girlfriend of three months, Fon, who is 29 and has a six-year-old daughter, was yesterday told she has DCIS. I know this as I was with her and saw the English-language diagnosis slip. However, she went into the Thai doctor’s office alone to be told. After five minutes a nurse called me in also. Fon was in tears and there were some pictures of women with full mastectomies and subsequent reconstructions on the desk. I was not happy at this. The doctor began speaking to me in English. He said she was to have a full left breast removal on Aug 23 and reconstruction at the same time. We are both still a bit shocked. She has a lump of maybe 1.5cm-2cm in diameter, and it is easily 4cm from the nipple. Fon has a typical Thai figure - about 5ft 2in, 45kg, small waist and breasts. I have been doing some research and intend urging Fon to get a second opinion from a private doctor. However, could you please, please give me some advice. What are the pertinent questions I should be asking?
Hi Chris and welcome to the BCC forums
In addition to the support and information you will receive from your fellow users I have posted a link to the BCC publication about DCIS which you may find helpful to read:
There is a specific DCIS room where you may get more replies, you may wish to repost and read threads in there too, it’s just above the newly diagnosed room you have already used
Hope this helps
Lucy
Hi Chris
treatment for DCIS in the UK is based on 1. the size and spread of the tumour - for example there may be multiple small areas rather than just one distinct area. 2. the grading of the tumour. Dcis is graded, low, intermediate and high. 3.Age of patient.
If you have a young person (usually they class young under 50 for DCIS), with a high grade multiple lesions, then mastectomy is the treatment of choice. However, if your girlfriend’s lesion is not widespread and low grade, then possibly a lumpectomy plus radiotherapy would be the best treatment. Even though DCIS is not yet cancer, it has the potential to be invasive and perhaps the doctors are most concerned that your girlfriend is very young. I would strongly suggest a second opinion to anyone who isn’t either happy or clear why they are having treatment. Ask what grade the lesion is, are there multiple lesions and alternative treatments available. It may be that mastectomy is the best treatment which you are more likely to accept if the second doctors recommends this.
Dear Cathy59,
Thank you so much for the advice. Private appt will be made tomorrow.
Chris…