Pathologists Corner – Dr. Lane on Breast Cancer – Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS)
What is ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)?
Ductal carcinoma in situ is the earliest possible and most treatable diagnosis of breast cancer. Some experts consider it to be “pre-malignant.” The most common form of non-invasive breast cancer, DCIS accounts for about 20 percent of all newly diagnosed breast cancers, according to the National Cancer Institute. Sometimes, DCIS is seen in association with an invasive form of breast cancer.
The diagnosis of DCIS is increasing because more women are receiving regular mammograms–and because of advancements in mammography technology, which can now find small areas of calcification in the breast. Experts estimate that about one-third of women with DCIS will develop invasive breast cancer within 10 years if the disease is left untreated.