Observation was one of the highly recommended interventions for “indolent lesion of epithelial origin,” followed by biopsy, she said, noting that only 13% recommended surgery when this phrase was used.
“Interestingly, 7.4% said an oral or topical medication [should be used for “indolent lesion of epithelial origin]” – a finding likely explained by the fact that some women interpreted the word “lesion” to mean a wound or sore on the skin, she said.
Additionally, few women were able to define contralateral prophylactic mastectomy.
Overall, despite the study population being very well educated and from a higher socioeconomic status, they had low scores for understanding terminology (8.21 out of 20), Ms. Valente noted.
The findings demonstrate that decision making in the context of DCIS remains complex and underscore the importance of recognizing patients’ knowledge of risk communication and terminology for supporting shared and informed surgical decision making, she said.
The findings also demonstrate that while fewer women felt that surgery was appropriate when the term “indolent lesion of epithelial origin” was used instead of “DCIS,” the proposed new terminology doesn’t necessarily provide the desired clarity, she noted.
“They still came up with such a broad range of interpretations that we really might be introducing a new set of conflicts and confusion when we think about changing to that terminology when we talk to patients,” she concluded.
Dr. Hamilton and Ms. Valente each reported having no disclosures.