Can We Slow Down This Medical Mayhem?
The overdiagnosis and overtreatment of DCIS
Listening to the words “ductal carcinoma” on the phone as my recent diagnosis hit me hard. The C-word can do it to you. My father died of prostate cancer. I’ve had my share of witnessing what the treatment protocols do to a person.
My interpretation of the C-word is that it shows you what hell looks like on Earth. I am biased.
Once the news is delivered, distress, confusion, panic, and fear are packaged to treat this as a medical emergency.
A visit to the surgeon was reassuring to hear his explanation of the condition and next steps, including a plethora of testing; the process starts at full speed with the amped-up risk perception.
While trying to continue my work and daily living, I’ve gone into a hyper-researching mode to understand everything.
I don’t want to call it a disease, as I am not spreading it to anybody. I am perfectly fit as I played tennis for three days this week, so I am not ill. I am comfortable calling it a condition I must deal with.
Stage 0
I didn’t know there was such a thing as Stage Zero. As I understand it more, it’s a precancer.
