[NYT photo; patient claims surgery was unnecessary]

The New York Times tells us that that 17 percent of D.C.I.S. cases identified by a commonly used needle biopsy may be misdiagnosed. D.C.I.S. is ductal carcinoma in situ, aka Stage O cancer. The Times interviews women who had surgery (ranging up to a double mastectomy) who later found out they didn't have cancer after all.

I've been a critic of Susan B. Komen for the Cure, but it turns out that Komen has studied this. According to the Times, Komen reported in 2006 that in 90,000 cases, women who receive a diagnosis of D.C.I.S. or invasive breast cancer either did not have the disease or their pathologist made another error that resulted in incorrect treatment.

So--if you're diagnosed with Stage 0, get another opinion. So you won't need a lawyer later.