
Treatment of DCIS Standard treatments for DCIS are: lumpectomy followed by radiation therapy
What are the treatment options for ductal carcinoma in situ?
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) 1 Breast imaging. DCIS is most often discovered during a mammogram used to screen for breast cancer. 2 Removing breast tissue samples for testing. 3 Surgery. If you're diagnosed with DCIS, one of the first decisions you'll have to make is whether... 4 Radiation therapy. Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams,...
How is ductal carcinoma in situ graded?
Grading of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) determined by size and shape of nuclei and patterning. Once DCIS as an early stage cancer is confirmed, it may be given a specific DCIS ‘ grade ‘ based upon the particular kinds of cells which are growing, the characteristics of their nuclei and their growth patterns.
What is the survival rate for ductal carcinoma in-situ?
Indeed, not all of these early changes progress to a more invasive, problematic cancer. The high survival rates of 98% to 99% for Ductal Carcinoma In-Situ, in 2010 reflect the effectiveness of treatment.
What is invasive ductal carcinoma?
Invasive ductal carcinoma, also known as infiltrating ductal carcinoma or IDC, is the most common form of breast cancer, accounting for 80% of all breast cancer diagnoses.

How is ductal carcinoma treated?
Treating DCIS. In most cases, a woman with DCIS can choose between breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and simple mastectomy. Radiation is usually given after BCS. Tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor after surgery might also be an option if the DCIS is hormone-receptor positive.
Can you survive high grade DCIS?
Women diagnosed with DCIS have very good prognoses. Ten years after DCIS diagnosis, 98% to 99% of women will be alive. Based on this good prognosis, DCIS usually is treated by lumpectomy followed by radiation therapy. If the DCIS is large, a mastectomy may be recommended.
What does high nuclear grade mean in breast cancer?
The nuclear grade describes how closely the nuclei of cancer cells look like the nuclei of normal breast cells. In general, the higher the nuclear grade, the more abnormal the nuclei are and the more aggressive the tumor cells tend to be. The nuclear grade is a part of overall tumor grade.
Is high grade DCIS serious?
Overall, pure DCIS has an excellent prognosis; however, high-grade DCIS is an aggressive subtype with significantly greater morbidity and risk of mortality with recurrent invasive disease.
What is best treatment for high grade DCIS?
Radiation therapy Treatment of DCIS has a high likelihood of success, in most instances removing the tumor and preventing any recurrence. In most people, treatment options for DCIS include: Breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy) and radiation therapy. Breast-removing surgery (mastectomy)
What stage is high grade DCIS?
DCIS that is high grade, is nuclear grade 3, or has a high mitotic rate is more likely to come back (recur) after it is removed with surgery. DCIS that is low grade, is nuclear grade 1, or has a low mitotic rate is less likely to come back after surgery.
What is the survival rate for high grade DCIS?
Multivariate analysis found that high grade DCIS is the only independent risk factors for margin involvement (HR 2.55, 95% CI 1.02-6.42). After median follow-up of 106 months (6-223 months), the overall survival was 97%.
What stage of breast cancer is invasive ductal carcinoma?
Generally, the stage of invasive ductal carcinoma is described as a number on a scale of I through IV. Stages I, II, and III describe early-stage cancers, and stage IV describes cancers that have spread outside the breast to other parts of the body, such as the bones or liver.
What is the survival rate of invasive ductal carcinoma?
Invasive ductal carcinoma describes the type of tumor in about 80 percent of people with breast cancer. The five-year survival rate is quite high -- almost 100 percent when the tumor is caught and treated early.
Can high grade DCIS return after mastectomy?
Recurrence is rare following mastectomy for DCIS. Nevertheless, there remains a need to follow patients for in-breast, nodal, or contralateral breast events, which can occur long after the index DCIS has been treated.
What percentage of high grade DCIS becomes invasive?
The largest studies on the natural history of DCIS suggest that more than 50% of patients with high-grade DCIS have the potential to progress to an invasive carcinoma in less than 5 years if left untreated, while low-grade DCIS has a similar progression but in a small percentage of patients (35–50%) and in a more ...
Should you take tamoxifen for DCIS?
Tamoxifen is the only hormonal therapy currently approved for adjuvant therapy in patients treated with breast-conserving surgery and radiation for DCIS. A retrospective study found that patients with ER-positive DCIS who were treated with tamoxifen showed significant decreases in subsequent breast cancer at 10 years.
What Is In-Situ Carcinoma (or Carcinoma in Situ) of The breast?
This term is used for the earliest stage of breast cancer, when it is confined to the layer of cells where it began. The normal breast is made of t...
What Does It Mean If My Report Mentions E-Cadherin?
E-cadherin is a test that the pathologist might use to help determine if the carcinoma in situ is ductal or lobular. If your report does not mentio...
What Is The Significance of The Reported Size of The Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS)?
If the entire tumor or area of DCIS is removed (such as in an excisional biopsy or breast-conserving surgery), the pathologist will say how big the...
What Does It Mean If My Report Mentions Paget Disease?
Paget disease (also called Paget’s disease, Paget disease of the nipple, or Paget disease of the breast) is when cells resembling the cells of duct...
What Does It Mean If My Report on Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS) Mentions Estrogen Receptor (ER) Or Progesterone Receptor (PR)?
ER and PR are special tests that the pathologist does that are important in predicting response of the DCIS to hormone therapy (like tamoxifen). Te...
What If My Report on Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS) Mentions Margins Or Ink?
When the entire area of DCIS is removed, the outside surface (edges or margins) of the specimen is coated with ink, sometimes even with different c...
What Does It Mean If My Report Also Mentions Atypical Ductal Hyperplasia (ADH) Or Atypical Lobular Hyperplasia (Alh)?
These findings are less serious than DCIS, and you should talk with your doctor about what these findings may mean to your care.
What Does It Mean If My Report Mentions Microcalcifications Or Calcifications?
Microcalcifications or calcifications are mineral deposits that can be found in both non-cancerous and cancerous breast lesions. They can be seen b...
What Does It Mean If My Doctor Asks For A Special Molecular (Genomic) Test, Such as Oncotypedx®, to Be Done on My specimen?
Molecular tests may help predict the chances of DCIS coming back (recurring) in the breast, but not all cases need these tests. The results should...
What is the treatment for DCIS?
In most people, treatment options for DCIS include: Breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy) and radiation therapy. Breast-removing surgery (mastectomy) In some cases, treatment options may include: Lumpectomy only.
What is radiation therapy after lumpectomy?
Radiation therapy after lumpectomy reduces the chance that DCIS will come back (recur) or that it will progress to invasive cancer.
What is DCIS on a mammogram?
DCIS is most often discovered during a mammogram used to screen for breast cancer. If your mammogram shows suspicious areas such as bright white specks (microcalcifications) that are in a cluster and have irregular shapes or sizes, your radiologist likely will recommend additional breast imaging. You may have a diagnostic mammogram, which takes ...
What is lumpectomy surgery?
A lumpectomy involves removing the cancer and some of the healthy tissue that surrounds it. This illustration shows one possible incision that can be used for this procedure, though your surgeon will determine the approach that's best for your particular situation.
What is clinical trial?
Clinical trials are studying new strategies for managing DCIS, such as close monitoring rather than surgery after diagnosis. Whether you're eligible to participate in a clinical trial depends on your specific situation. Talk with your doctor about your options.
Can alternative medicine cure DCIS?
Alternative medicine. No alternative medicine treatments have been found to cure DCIS or to reduce the risk of being diagnosed with an invasive breast cancer. Instead, complementary and alternative medicine treatments may help you cope with your diagnosis and the side effects of your treatment, such as distress.
Can you have a mastectomy with DCIS?
Most women with DCIS are candidates for lumpectomy. However, mastectomy may be recommended if: You have a large area of DCIS.
What is the treatment for ductal carcinoma?
Hormonal therapy for invasive ductal carcinoma. Hormonal therapy is used to treat cancer cells with receptors for estrogen or progesterone, or both. The presence of these hormones can encourage breast cancer cells to multiply. Hormonal therapy removes or blocks these hormones to help prevent the cancer from growing.
How long does it take to recover from ductal carcinoma?
Chemotherapy consists of anticancer medications that are taken in pill form or injected into the bloodstream. It may take up to six months or longer after treatment has subsided to recover from the many side effects, such as nerve damage, joint pain, and fatigue.
What is the most common form of breast cancer?
The most common form of breast cancer is called invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). It’s responsible for about 80 percent of all breast cancer diagnoses. Carcinoma refers to a type of cancer that begins in the skin cells or the tissues lining your internal organs. Adenocarcinomas are more specific types of carcinomas that originate in ...
What are the two main types of IDC?
The treatments for IDC fall into two main types: Local treatments for IDC target the cancerous tissue of the breast and the surrounding areas , such as the chest and lymph nodes. Systemic treatments for IDC are applied throughout the body, targeting any cells that may have traveled and spread from the original tumor.
What is systemic treatment for breast cancer?
Systemic treatments may be recommended depending on the characteristics of the cancer, including in situations where it has already spread beyond the breast or is at high risk of spreading to other parts of the body.
What is the treatment for IDC?
There are two main types of local treatments for IDC: surgery and radiation therapy. Surgery is used to remove the cancerous tumor and determine whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. Surgery is typically the doctor’s first response when dealing with IDC.
How long does it take for a tumor to subside after radiation?
Some people treated with radiation may experience swelling or skin changes. Certain symptoms, such as fatigue, may take up to 6 to 12 weeks or longer to subside. Different kinds of surgeries and radiation therapies available for treating this IDC include: lumpectomy, or removal of the tumor.
What is a low grade DCIS?
DCIS that is low grade, is nuclear grade 1, or has a low mitotic rate is less likely to come back after surgery. DCIS that is intermediate grade, is nuclear grade 2, or has an intermediate mitotic rate falls in between these two. Patients with higher grade DCIS may need additional treatment.
What is in situ carcinoma?
What is in-situ carcinoma (or carcinoma in situ) of the breast? This term is used for the earliest stage of breast cancer, when it is confined to the layer of cells where it began. The normal breast is made of tiny tubes (ducts) that end in a group of sacs (lobules).
What is E-cadherin test?
E-cadherin is a test that the pathologist might use to help determine if the carcinoma in situ is ductal or lobular. If your report does not mention E-cadherin, it means that this test was not needed to make the distinction.
Why do you give radiation after surgery?
In some cases, radiation (radiotherapy) or hormone therapy (like tamoxifen) is given after surgery to lower the chance that it will come back later (recur) or that invasive carcinoma will occur .
What is it called when a tumor breaks out?
Once the carcinoma cells have grown and broken out of the ducts or lobules, it is called invasive or infiltrating carcinoma. In an invasive carcinoma, the tumor cells can spread (metastasize) to other parts of your body.
Can DCIS come back after surgery?
Later, when the entire area of DCIS is removed (with surgery), an accurate measurement can be done. The larger the area of DCIS, the more likely it is to come back (recur) after surgery. Doctors use information about the size of the DCIS when recommending further treatments.
Can DCIS be left untreated?
Still, we don’t really understand it well. We don’t think that all DCIS would go on to become invasive cancer, but we can’t tell which DCIS would be safe to leave untreated.
What is ductal carcinoma in situ?
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a common pre-invasive malignancy of the breast, representing approximately 20% of all breast cancer diagnoses. 12 It is widely believed that DCIS is a precursor lesion to invasive ductal carcinoma, but the exact biologic nature is not completely understood and debated by some. 3-5 DCIS is unarguably a heterogeneous disease with variable malignant potential. Evidence shows that high-grade DCIS is an aggressive subtype with an overall poorer prognosis than non-high-grade disease. There have been many studies evaluating the role of the radiologist in the diagnosis of high-grade DCIS with emphasis on radiologic-pathologic correlation using standard mammography and magnetic resonance imaging. Our current understanding of the clinical importance of high-grade DCIS from the perspective of a radiologist and characteristic imaging features are discussed in detail.
What percentage of DCIS are microcalcified?
Microcalcifications are found in an estimated 50-75% of all DCIS diagnosed on mammography and in approximately 90% of clinically occult DCIS. 30-34 Radiologic-pathologic correlation has shown that these calcifications develop as a consequence of calcified intraluminal cellular debris secondary to a high concentration of calcium in adjacent necrotic cells and from ductal secretions, such as mucin or other calcific product. 31,35
Is there overlap between DCIS and benign processes?
Unfortunately, as the Dinkel study illustrates, there remains considerable overlap in the imaging appearance of not only different grades of DCIS but also between DCIS and benign processes, as high grade DCIS is not confined to the linear branching pattern of calcifications.
Can a negative mammogram show DCIS?
Moreover, a negative mammogram may harbor DCIS, as demonstrated by occult cases identified only with the use of MRI. While such presentations are less common, it remains important to be aware that high grade DCIS may present as a non-calcified mammographic abnormality.
Is DCIS a high grade disease?
Overall, pure DCIS has an excellent prognosis ; however, high-grade DCIS is an aggressive subtype with significantly greater morbidity and risk of mortality with recurrent invasive disease. Appropriate use of mammography and MRI affords radiologists an opportunity to identify this population and guide the most appropriate surgical and oncologic management based upon our current understanding of the disease. Research has extensively evaluated mammographic and MRI features of high-grade DCIS, and its appearances are well documented. Unfortunately, imaging currently shows little prospective value in cases of pure high-grade DCIS beyond the ability to make the initial diagnosis. Future research is necessary to determine the full impact of imaging patients with high-grade disease and to further define the best clinical treatment strategies.
What is ductal carcinoma in situ?
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) DCIS means that some cells in the lining of the ducts of the breast tissue have started to turn into cancer cells. These cells are all contained inside the ducts. They have not started to spread into the surrounding breast tissue. Doctors might describe DCIS in different ways.
How to treat DCIS?
Treatment for DCIS. Surgery is the main treatment for DCIS. You might have surgery to remove: an area of the breast (breast conserving surgery) the whole breast (mastectomy) Your surgeon might recommend that you have a particular surgery or they might give you a choice of operations.
What is a DCIS grade?
DCIS grade. The grade of DCIS tells you how much the cells look like normal breast cells. It gives your doctor an idea of how the DCIS might behave and which treatment you need. DCIS grade is divided into: low grade (more slowly growing) intermediate grade. high grade (more quickly growing)
What is the procedure to remove the DCIS?
This is called breast conserving surgery, or a wide local excision (WLE) or sometimes a lumpectomy.
How many lymph nodes are removed after mastectomy?
You may have surgery to your armpit called a sentinel lymph node biopsy if you have a mastectomy. This means having about 1 to 3 lymph nodes removed. If you want to, you can choose to have a new breast made (breast reconstruction) at the time of the mastectomy, or some time afterwards.
Can DCIS be treated?
In some people if DCIS is not treated, it could become an invasive cancer. DCIS and invasive breast cancer are not the same thing. In invasive breast cancer, the cancer cells have broken out of the ducts and spread into the surrounding breast tissue. There is then a chance that the cells can spread into nearby lymph nodes or other parts of the body.
Does DCIS come back after mastectomy?
But after mastectomy DCIS almost never comes back. In women who have just the area of DCIS removed the chance of it coming back is a bit higher. But it depends on the grade and type of DCIS. Your doctor can give you more information about the chance of the DCIS coming back in your case.
What If My Report Mentions Margins Or Ink
When an entire tumor is removed, the outside edges of the specimen are coated with ink, sometimes even with different colors of ink on different sides of the specimen. The pathologist looks at slides of the tumor under the microscope to see how close the cancer cells get to the ink .
Why Breast Cancer Is Graded
If you’ve had a breast biopsy and have been diagnosed with breast cancer, you will need to know which treatments are best for you and what your prognosis will be.
Dcis Microenvironment And Relevance To Progression
The apparent molecular similarities between DCIS and invasive disease together with lack of detection of robust tumor-intrinsic biomarkers for invasive recurrence after DCIS suggests that the breast microenvironment could play a critical role in progression of DCIS to IBC.
What Are The Survival Rates For Stage 3 Breast Cancer By Stage
Survival rates can be confusing. Remember that they dont reflect your individual circumstances.
Overview Of Screening And Effect On Dcis Diagnosis Rate And Mortality
Although the rate of DCIS diagnosis has risen in the mammographic era, mortality rates from DCIS have fallen. A Swedish study found that the standard mortality ratio after DCIS fell from 5.29 in cases diagnosed 19801990 to 3.30 for cases 20002011 .
Ductal Carcinoma In Situ
DCIS is the most common type of noninvasive breast cancer, with about 60,000 new cases diagnosed in the United States each year. About one in every five new breast cancer cases is ductal carcinoma in situ.
Diagnosis Or Final Diagnosis
This is the most important section of the report. It gives the pathologists final diagnosis and may include information on the tumor such as size, type, grade, hormone receptor status and HER2 status.
What is the gold standard for DCIS?
The gold standard of treatment for DCIS at the moment is wide local excision (lumpectomy) with radiotherapy . According to one 2012 medical study, surgery and radiation therapy is superior to just surgery regarding recurrence rates. However, neither of these approaches affect overall survival rates.
What is the average age for DCIS?
The study found that the average age of diagnosis for DCIS was 53.8 years. In general the overall breast cancer death rate over a 20 year period was only 3.3%. However, the mortality rate at 20 years increased to 7.8% in women who were diagnosed with DCIS before the age of 35 years old.
Can DCIS recur?
However, some cases of DCIS will not recur or progress to invasive ductal cancer. This poses a dilemma for the surgeon with small, positive margins being associated with recurrence on one hand. However, on the other hand, DCIS patients may also be having unnecessary large resections with poor cosmetic outcomes.
Is ductal carcinoma pre-cancerous?
Many people used to think that Ductal Carcinoma In-Situ was a precursor for invasive breast cancer or a ‘pre-cancerous’ condition. However, researchers have struggled for many years to work out which ductal carcinomas in-situ develop into invasive breast cancer and why.
Is DCIS good for breast cancer?
The prognosis for DCIS is always very, very good, regardless of the exact nature of the type of breast cancer and the treatment method used. There will always be ongoing research and speculation as to the most risky types of DCIS, or those most likely to either progress or recur as something worrisome.
Does triple therapy help with DCIS?
The use of triple therapy (lumpectomy, radiation, tamoxifen) Does it have a role in DCIS. It has been suggested, in the past, that triple therapy (lumpectomy, radiation and Tamoxifen) for DCIS reduces the risk of local recurrence of invasive breast cancer by 8% to 9%..
Is tumor size a prognostic factor?
Tumor size, as a single prognostic factor in DCIS, has remained controversial amongst medical experts. Whilst many cases of DCIS are diagnosed by mammography and are not palpable on diagnosis some present as a clinical, palpable mass (or breast lump). Narod, following a 2014 medical study, asserts that:-.

Diagnosis
Treatment
- Treatment of DCIS has a high likelihood of success, in most instances removing the tumor and preventing any recurrence. In most people, treatment options for DCIS include: 1. Breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy) and radiation therapy 2. Breast-removing surgery (mastectomy) In some cases, treatment options may include: 1. Lumpectomy only 2. Lumpec...
Clinical Trials
- Explore Mayo Clinic studiestesting new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition.
Alternative Medicine
- No alternative medicine treatments have been found to cure DCIS or to reduce the risk of being diagnosed with an invasive breast cancer. Instead, complementary and alternative medicine treatments may help you cope with your diagnosis and the side effects of your treatment, such as distress. If you're distressed, you may have difficulty sleeping and find yourself constantly thinki…
Coping and Support
- A diagnosis of DCIS can be overwhelming and frightening. To better cope with your diagnosis, it may be helpful to: 1. Learn enough about DCIS to make decisions about your care. Ask your doctor questions about your diagnosis and your pathology results. Use this information to research your treatment options. Look to reputable sources of information, such as the Nationa…
Preparing For Your Appointment
- Make an appointment with your doctor if you notice a lump or any other unusual changes in your breasts. If you have already had a breast abnormality evaluated by one doctor and are making an appointment for a second opinion, bring your original diagnostic mammogram images and biopsy results to your new appointment. These should include your mammography images, ultrasound …
Introduction
Clinical Implication of DCIS
Mammography of High-Grade DCIS
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of High-Grade DCIS
- The overalI sensitivity of breast MRI for the detection of allgrades of DCIS was previously considered to be relatively low withauthors reporting various sensitivity data for DC IS as low as 77%.44However, with improved MRI techniques and high spatial resolution, asmany as 98% of DCIS cases are now detectable by MRI with an additional6-23% of mammo...
Summary
References