Symptoms and Cure: Decoding DCIS After Tahira Kashyap’s Diagnosis

Author, teacher, writer, director and radio programmer Tahira Kashyap took to Instagram to reveal that she is diagnosed with Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS). The condition is localised to her right breast with high grade malignant cells.

She went on to explain that it is also known as a stage 0 cancer or a pre-cancerous stage, with cancer cells multiplying in a contained area.

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An opportunity to give competition to the Kardashians just went wasted! A week back I mentioned about ‘my badge of honour’ that I was going to receive. And I did and am happy to share about it with the intention of it being received with love. As that’s the only reason I am posting it. Love for self and gratitude for the universe. The picture might be disturbing for some, but these drains have become my dumbells for a few days. I was detected with DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) in my right breast with high grade malignant cells. Simply put stage 0 cancer/ pre-cancerous stage, with cancer cells multiplying in a contained area. The result I have become a half Indian version of Angelina Jolie (since only one breast was involved)! I told my doctor now is the time to give some competition to the Kardashians since Pamela is passé. But no one listened to me, so now I have a portion of my back tissue in my breast. Perhaps now I can do chin-ups with my breasts! Jokes apart, this obstacle has given me a new definition of life. Respect it’s unpredictability and have the faith and courage to be the hero of your own drama of life. The invincible human spirit is God like, gives you the courage to endure and the will to revive. There is nothing that human spirit can’t do. Also I want women of all ages to be aware. I am 35, and I was returned twice over from a mammogram. If any symptoms come up, think of it as a protective force and get yourselves examined. Also we are so obsessed with boobs. This mastectomy has left me with even more self love! Big, small, left or right inclined , gravity pulling or defying, or even none, each breast the presence or lack of it has a story to tell. Mine has made me a 2.0 version of myself! This post is dedicated to awareness, self love and resilience of a warrior that I know each one of us possesses❤️ #breastcancerawareness #selflove #determination #faith #bodhisattva #bodhisattvaoftheearth

A post shared by tahirakashyapkhurrana (@tahirakashyap) on Sep 22, 2018 at 1:59am PDT

What is DCIS?

Sometimes the cells lining the milk ducts in the breast start multiplying more than they should, thereby becoming cancerous. That condition is given the term DCIS. It is marked by the localised nature of the cells and their lack of spreading to the adjacent breast tissue, according to Cancer.org.

This is also called non-invasive cancer, which means it has not spread to the adjoining tissue, and is not life-threatening. However, it does mean that there is an increased chance of developing invasive breast cancer, points out BreastCancer.org, more than someone who has never experienced it.

Symptoms of DCIS

The symptoms of DCIS are not a lot, but they can sometimes include a lump on the breast or blood discharge from the nipple, says Mayo Clinic.

A mammogram often suffices in detecting it.

What After DCIS?

There are primarily two simple modes of treating a DCIS.

i) Breast Conserving Surgery (BCS): This procedure is marked by the removal of the tumour and some adjacent tissue. The rest of the breast is left intact. BCS is often followed radiation therapy.

ii) Mastectomy: If DCIS has spread over a large area of the breast, it is removed entirely and this breast removal surgery is called mastectomy. A mastectomy is performed if DCIS has occurred in several places and a simple BCS won’t remove it entirely. It’s often followed by breast reconstruction. By The Quint