Yesterday was told DCIS in Both Breasts

Diagnosed with breast cancer Recently diagnosed with breast cancer
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Hello , I’m new here!

Yesterday I was diagnosed with DCIS in both breasts.

I’m not sure I took in all the information, but from what I can remember I have DCIS none invasive in my left and in my right there’s 2 areas, one the same as the left so none invasive, the other they said was a legion they’d spotted at the breast clinic and that’s DCIS but is invasive. They tested and both are hormone receptive.

I’m waiting for a MRI before they can finalise a plan. But they said it will be surgery then radiotherapy, they just need to size everything and see where the right ones spread to.

I’m only 44, and haven’t really had any symptoms, I only went to my doctors after my left had been feeling funny for a while and I had cracking skin around the nipple appear.

I had been to see my GP in Jan 24 and requesting a breast exam as the left was feeling funny and I had a very swollen lymph node on my collar bone. They found no lumps in my breast so gave me naproxen but referred me for an urgent scan of the lymph node, which I was told was normal after the scan.

I’m kicking myself now for not going back to the GP sooner and pushing for a breast clinic referral. It’s never felt right since then and the swollen lymph node comes up and down.

I know it’s early stage and from what they said yesterday very treatable, but I’m scared with it being in both. Also a bit worried about what they might find on the MRI.

And it’s now back to the waiting game for mri and then treatment. And trying to stay positive and not worry!

I’m hoping I don’t have a long wait for treatment but looking at others stories it might be.

I have a 11 year old son, who we’ve not told yet. We’ve decide to wait until after the scans to have the treatment plan so we can give him all the information. But I’m dreading telling him.

What did everyone do about work?
I’ve took today off as my heads all over the place but if it’s gonna be a wait for treatment then I think I might be better keeping busy. Although I work in a GP surgery (admin role not clinical) and I’m not sure if it will be a bit triggering rather than occupying my mind.

I felt really positive yesterday, but today my heads in a spin!

x

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Hi im new here too. Diagnosed last week with dcis in one breast . Surgery soon then poss radiotherapy. Sorry i cant give you any info i am getting my head round everything myself . Hope you get the info you need Sending :hugs:

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Hi @lb12678 and welcome to the forum, you will receive a lot of support here as you go through diagnosis and treatment. You have been told you have DCIS in both breasts although an MRI will show whether there is an invasive lesion in one, I think you’ve said? Just for point of reference, I had both DCIS and IDC (the invasive one) in my right breast coming up to three years ago. DCIS is Stage 0 so, as you’ve been told, is eminently treatable but that doesn’t diminish the shock of diagnosis or the worry and stress of treatment, particularly when you have a young family and a job. There’s more data collection that needs to be done on the size and histology of the lumps. The DCIS grade (low, medium or high) and endocrine status (oestrogen + or -, progesterone + or - and HER2 + or -) needs to be determined so that the right treatment plan can be put into place. This is universally recognised as the worst time in the whole process but once all of the diagnosis has been done and the plan in place, you’ll feel much more settled and in control. Yes, it can take a few weeks which is terribly frustrating so whilst your team won’t leave you hanging around for no good reason, come here for a download if you need to.

You might also want to post in the thread for younger women here Younger women - Breast Cancer Now forum where you can get good advice on how to handle telling your son and also in the specific thread for DCIS here DCIS/LCIS - Breast Cancer Now forum for those who will have much in common with you.

You’re going to be out the other side very soon.

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Hi @circleoflife welcome to you too, I hope you find the forum a helpful and safe space whilst you go through treatment. It is always a shock to get a diagnosis of this sort and the impact of that should never be dismissed whatever the circumstances. I had surgery, radiotherapy and also five years of endocrine treatment as both my IDC and DCiS were oestrogen positive. I’d never had surgery before but it is usually done in a day and I have to say I did not feel any pain at all in the days after. It is such a common surgery these days that everyone involved is very experienced. Despite having an invasive carcinoma as well as a DCIS, I didn’t have to have chemo, in fact only around 30-35% of breast cancer cases involve chemo and DCIS is in the 65-70% category that don’t. Radiotherapy sessions are quite quick too, I had five and each session lasted less than 15 minutes.

If you need to have a chat with someone about this new, strange and unwelcome world you find yourself in, please feel free to talk to one of our lovely nurses on 0808 800 6000 between 9.00-16.00 M-F or 9.00-13.00 on Saturdays. They won’t rush you and you don’t even have to have a question, they just make you feel better for having had a chat. I wish you all the best with your treatment plan, I’m sure you’ll do very well and be on the road to recovery very soon.

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Just jumping on to say I also had DCIS in both breasts - bit of a long story, but I found a lump, that lead to more tests and found to have invasive tumour and 1cm DCIS in one side and a small area on the other side. I went for a double mastectomy no recon last July and the areas of DCIS ended up being much bigger with a couple of tiny invasives in the other side so it’s good you’re getting the MRI now.

I also have a boy who was 12 at the time of diagnosis (and a 22 year old girl). We’re quite open in our house so he was around for my “oh, that feels funny” when I found the lump watching a football match, and he took it all in his stride, he asked any questions he wanted and was amazing. My mum had breast cancer 23 years ago and he has had class mates with cancer so it’s something he has always been around and he understands lots of people get cancer and most recover, so hopefully he’s unscathed!

I work for the NHS in a hospital although was treated privately (so quite quickly) but I went off work on diagnosis and went back six months later.

Good luck in your treatment xx

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Hi All
This is my story.
I had high grade dcis in my right breast.I underwent 6 chemo cycles and 2 reexcision,a vertical therapeutic mammoplasty and finally mastectomy with mesh implant adm.After going through four surgeries only,I got to hear some good news.I have a strong family history of breast cancer.Now starting another set of chemo cycles from next week.My dcis was invisible so it became challenging.I am just following my surgeon and Oncologist advice.

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Hello ib12678 amd welcome. Tigress has given you quality asvice and information on her replies. I thought id shatr a few.things from my journey. My joirney began on myb50th birthday with my first mammogram. This, despote being invited a few - 3? - years earlier but refusing the appt due to painful self consciousness about my anatomy. I ignored an itchy nipple for a number of years too, which I now know (im 58) is a symptom. So I have always wondered how (not if, realistically speaking) my journey may have been different - shorter? Better? - had i had that earlier mammogram. When I asked my surgeon this question she said probably not but I was disinclined to believe her as it is stated wvery. Having said that I do believe that the nhs - & the govt - do a lot of number crunching to ensure correct resources and to produce the best possible outcomes. From those numbers comes information, expectations, goals for treatment times etc. All intended to provide the best and quickest care. They call it gold standard. So despite your earlier unrecognised symptom you are still receiving the best possible care for the time your journey began. And it is highly likely that any fall out from any time lost by not pushing for a breast clinic appt will be minimal, because it was only a matter of a few months. When I say ‘only’ and ‘just’ I promise you I dont mean to trivialise your situation (I do know how you feel) but am hoping that a numerical approach is less emotive and therefore helpful. Also, i dont have children (my choice) but I know MacMillan have a booklet on how to tell children, and, if memory serves me right, you can order the booklets for free from their website. I have no doubt there are orher sources to help with this. Then, the mri will provide a good, clear picture of how invasive any surgery may be. I found mine, despite my huge anxiety, to be very considerate with my privacy (female nurses helping me ‘climb on’ and turning their heads away while holding up a barrier (towel? gowns?) both sides to hide me from view while doing so). I really hope this helps xx

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Flipping henry, what atrocious spelling! Sausage fingers, me lol.