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Treatment Options for Ductal Carcinoma in Situ
Goals of Treatment for Ductal Carcinoma in Situ
If ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is left untreated, the cells may invade the surrounding breast tissue and may spread via the lymph nodes to other areas of the body (invasive cancer). Long-term follow-up studies of women with untreated DCIS have shown that a significant number (between 15 to 60%) developed invasive breast cancer.
The primary goals of treatment of DCIS is prevention of local recurrence and invasive breast cancer. When breast-conserving surgery is appropriate, the goals of treatment include the total surgical removal of the DCIS with minimal cosmetic deformity.
