“DCIS isn’t really cancer. You have nothing to worry about,” said my oncologist confidently.
“Then why am I having a mastectomy in four days?” I blurted.
“DCIS doesn’t spread. So it isn’t cancer.”
“But the “c” stands for carcinoma, a cancer of epithelial tissue. How is that not cancer?” I asked.
“DCIS. Can’t. Spread.”
Case closed. But I knew what he meant. Ductal carcinoma in situ isn’t cancer, some say, because “in situ” means “in place,” and invading healthy tissue is one of the nine characteristics of cancer I’ve listed for years in my textbooks. Eight out of nine was enough to convince me that Hannibal had to go.
Why name my DCIS? Read More
“Then why am I having a mastectomy in four days?” I blurted.
“DCIS doesn’t spread. So it isn’t cancer.”
“But the “c” stands for carcinoma, a cancer of epithelial tissue. How is that not cancer?” I asked.
“DCIS. Can’t. Spread.”
Case closed. But I knew what he meant. Ductal carcinoma in situ isn’t cancer, some say, because “in situ” means “in place,” and invading healthy tissue is one of the nine characteristics of cancer I’ve listed for years in my textbooks. Eight out of nine was enough to convince me that Hannibal had to go.
Why name my DCIS? Read More