Friday, November 29, 2013

LUMPECTOMY FOR BEGINNERS: the research forest

There's even a road here called Research Forest.  There are many trees, almost no road signs, it's hard to see the building you want, and one medical office is approached thru the driveway of a gas station.
That sounds like what I wade through  to research  DCIS, and what I may want to ask the surgeon at my post-op appointment next week.

I just read some material on line from Mayo Clinic that is almost 5 years old.  .It mentions that some controversy about the treatments.  I was stunned to find how many days of radiation were being used at the time of this article.

The article also mentioned that tamoxifen does not prolong life for DCIS patients.  I'm completely mystified about the used of "prolonged life" in all these discussions?!  

I know there are women who just get good lumpectomy results and go home.  No radiation, no tamoxifen.
I still think I'll go to see the radiation oncologist, just to see if there's anything new that isn't so scary.  But before I go, I want to find some material on what happens to women who do not choose radiation OR tamoxifen.

I need to MAKE A LIST OF QUESTIONS I WOULD ASK THE RADIATION ONCOLOGIST IF I GO. And I think I'll search Breast Cancer Action SF website again.

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