Do women with DCIS have appearance concerns?
F. Kennedy D. Harcourt N. Rumsey University of the West of England Background: This study aimed to improve the current knowledge and understanding of the women’s own experience of being diagnosed and treated for Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS). DCIS is a pre-invasive 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 non-invasive, 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. Methods: In-depth semi-structured interviews with 16 women previously diagnosed with DCIS explored their experien
