What is ductal carcinoma in situ?
One out of every five new breast cancer diagnoses each year is ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). This is an uncontrolled growth of cells within the breast ducts. The phrase “in situ” means “in its original place.” This cancer is noninvasive and has not yet made it to breast tissue outside of the ducts. Ductal carcinoma in situ is the earliest stage at which breast cancer can be diagnosed. It’s known as Stage 0 breast cancer. The prognosis for women diagnosed with this form is excellent. The vast majority of cases of ductal carcinoma in situ are curable. Even though ductal carcinoma in situ is noninvasive, it is imperative that women with the disease receive medical treatment. Experts believe that one out of every three women with untreated DCIS will later develop invasive breast cancer.
One out of every five new breast cancer diagnoses each year is ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). This is an uncontrolled growth of cells within the breast ducts. The phrase “in situ” means “in its original place.” This cancer is noninvasive and has not yet made it to breast tissue outside of the ducts. Ductal carcinoma in situ is the earliest stage at which breast cancer can be diagnosed. It’s known as Stage 0 breast cancer. The prognosis for women diagnosed with this form is excellent. The vast majority of cases of ductal carcinoma in situ are curable. Even though ductal carcinoma in situ is noninvasive, it is imperative that women with the disease receive medical treatment because it can be a precursor of invasive cancer. Experts believe that 20 to 50% of women with DCIS will later develop an invasive breast cancer within 10 years of the DCIS diagnosis. The invasive cancer usually develops in the same breast and in the same quadrant of the breast that the DCIS first occurred.
