I'm sorry, but I have to chime in here..... Tracy, you are going off of YOUR experience, and I'm sorry it was a bad one.  But EVERYONE'S experience IS different, just as their cancer & treatment.  We each recieve DIFFERENT medical advice and care.  That's why it is the patients responisbility to become better informed and educated about their cancer and the recommended treatment. The first time I was told I had cancer I was alone in a room and the dr said you have cancer and have to have a mastectomy, handed me a tissue and walked out.  I was much too naive then to even think about leaving and seeing another dr. - so I went through with a procedure I had no clue about.  I am a lot wiser now and would never tolerate that level of service from a doctor. What I can tell you is that the numbers are not myths.  They are actual case study outcomes.  Our whole medical system is built on research, and that is what they found to be true during the course of their research - but like I said, each case is different. You mentioned that your tumour showed to be star shaped on your mammogram.  Mine was that way as well - it was a near perfect match to that printed in the mammogram pamplet, so when the radiologist showed me it, I knew immediately that it was cancer before he ever even told me that I needed further testing ASAP.  Also you mention calcifications, which can be an indication of a precancerous condition (my sister has calcifications and has to have mammos 2x a yr).  Waiting a year and a half most likely did not cause your cancer to spread, as it was in situ and not invasive.  A simple test of your lymphnodes can show if it did in fact spread, but if it was slow growing the odds are against it.  I had a very aggressive grade of cancer that was invasive, and one little cell that was left behind after a mastectomy continued to grow over the course of 3 years and caused a recurrence in my chest wall, yet my cancer did not spread any further.  Again testing can be done to prove this - if not a lymphnode test a PET CT Scan can show an area with a cluster of suspicious cells that can be used to determine if it has metastized or not.  Most cancer treatment is delayed a bit.  Testing takes time.  I found out in March my cancer returned but did not start radiation until mid-June.  It is quite common for a delay as setting up a course of treatment is very detailed and specific.  Cancer does not just ravage the body over night, it can take years to form and grow.  It has been my experience now as an educated patient that I am always told the worst possible scenario for everything - the doctors have to disclose if complications from a procedure can result in death or peirced lung, etc., otherwise they would face malpractice suits.  That's why it is always important to listen to what your doctor says, read the waivers and ask questions before just signing them.  I do mandate my board of physicians.  Each of my doctors is informed and a part of my care, they all consult with one another, tell me the plan, then I either approve it or walk away.  If a doctor is unwilling to work with your other doctors, that's a trait you want to avoid - as they are most likely the ones who will dictate your care to you and not consider your thoughts on it. I'm sorry that you had a bad experience, but you're making a broad sweeping generalization about research, facts, techniques, and our medical system as a whole. Your experience is in the minority.  But I think that you have let your emotions get the best of you.  Doctors should not have to SCARE a person for them to get treatment, that's not how it works.  They advise you what needs to be done and either you do it or you get another opinion. As PJ said - We're not medical professionals answering questions here; and we're very careful not to make diagnoses. We always suggest women get ANY breast change checked out by a doctor. We are simply here because either we've had it or have it and we want to help others - plain and simple.   I hope your future experience is a lot better than your past. Good luck! Angi Cancer is NOT a DEATH sentence!