2020 was a challenging year for just about everyone. For Debbie (52) and her family, it brought an unimaginable number of trials and heartache. After enduring her mom’s diagnosis of brain cancer and subsequent death and her father’s Parkinson’s Disease diagnosis, Debbie was certain 2021 could only get better. Unfortunately, it was the beginning of her own cancer journey…

Given the numerous life challenges, Debbie put off her annual mammogram in 2020.  In January of 2021, when she finally went in for her mammogram, the radiologist identified a ‘calcification’.  She was not initially alarmed as she knew she had dense breasts.  However, when she was re-imaged a week later, she was referred for a biopsy. Debbie elected to pursue the biopsy and treatment at the Mayo Clinic’s cancer center, due to their exceptional  reputation.

Based on the results of the biopsy, Debbie underwent a lumpectomy to determine if the breast cancer was invasive or not. Things were moving fast, and Debbie had lots of questions and uncertainties. “At times like this, you need to home in on your tribe.”  So, Debbie joined a DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) Facebook group for moral support and to learn from others’ experiences. “This is where I learned about DCISionRT.”

“I have to give huge kudos to my radiation oncologist at the Mayo Clinic. They were not prescribing DCISionRT at the time, so I had to push a bit to get him to order it. The standard of care was radiation, but I didn’t want to unnecessarily expose myself to radiation if there wasn’t a clear clinical benefit. My radiation oncologist and the entire care team listened to me and ordered the DCISionRT test.”

“It was important to me that I utilize all available testing and diagnostics – including genetic testing, biopsy, and DCISionRT (molecular testing) – to feel comfortable with my treatment decision.”

Debbie’s DCISionRT Decision Score, which corresponds to recurrence risk, was low – a mere 0.8. And her results indicated she had a 7% chance of her cancer returning with or without radiation, so the decision to forgo radiation was clear. “What I liked most about the DCISionRT test was the analytics. I had a quantifiable number to base my decision upon and feel more confident about the way ahead. And by forgoing radiation now, I still have the radiation option available to me in the future.“

“My advice for other women facing a cancer diagnosis is to use all the tests  your disposal before making important life decisions.”