An avoidable catastrophe?

This is an observational study only, and it doesn't completely answer the question, but this analysis in JAMA Oncology certainly poses one. Understanding this is a bit complicated, and remember, I'm not a real doctor, I'm a doctor of philosophy, but let me tell you what it means to me.Narod et al used a registry called the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database to see what happened over 10 and 20 years to women who were diagnosed with so-called Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS). These are clusters of abnormal cells inside the milk duct. Until the widespread use of screening mammography, they were essentially never detected. There's no lump to feel and no symptoms. But since mammography grew more and more sensitive, radiologists started seeing them frequently.When one is found, the woman is told that she has breast cancer and the alternatives are presented as lumpectomy -- just removing the lesion, but it's a misnomer since there is no lump -- or total mastectomy. Some women have both breasts removed just to be on the safe side. And often they undergo radiation "therapy" as well.But is this really cancer? And is it really the case, as assumed, that this is how breast cancer begins and these often go on to become invasive and then metastatic? What would happen if they weren't treated and we just waited?Well, this study can't directly answer the last question because just about every woman with the diagnosis was treated. But it can tell us a few things. The eas...
Source: Stayin' Alive - Category: American Health Source Type: blogs