| The most common type of breast cancer in | | | | completely fill in the duct, in fact there will be |
| women that is noninvasive is referred to as DCIS, | | | | some areas of empty space between the cancer |
| which stands for Ductal Carcinoma In Situ. The | | | | cells and 3) papillary and micropapillary DCIS in |
| term "in situ" refers to cancer cells that have not | | | | which the cells are sparse, like cribiform, but have |
| moved out of the system in which they began to | | | | a pattern to them. |
| grow. With DCIS the cancer cells develop in a milk | | | | The comedo type is considered to be more |
| duct in the breast and are found before they | | | | aggressive than that of the non-comedo types. |
| have a chance outside of the duct. DCIS is the | | | | By looking under a microscope, a pathologist can |
| noninvasive version of Ductal Carcinoma and is | | | | tell the difference between the two based on the |
| usually discovered during the course of a regular | | | | number of dead, or necrotic, cells in the middle of |
| mammography because it can show up as specks | | | | the milk duct. Have large amounts of dead cells in |
| of calcifications. If these specks appear, then the | | | | a cancerous area means that the cancer can be |
| next step is a biopsy. | | | | faster growing. |
| Ductal Carcinoma In Situ is referred to as a Stage | | | | Even though DCIS is considered to be a |
| 0 cancer, but it is taken very seriously by | | | | pre-cancer or Stage 0, the treatment options are |
| doctors. Treatment for DCIS is usually much | | | | very similar to invasive ductal carcinoma. |
| more aggressive than it's in situ cousin, LCIS (or | | | | Depending on where the area of DCIS is located |
| lobular neoplasia). Even though it is a serious | | | | and how many areas there are, a patient will |
| condition, there is plenty of time to educate | | | | have a choice between a lumpectomy and |
| yourself and weigh all your options concerning | | | | mastectomy. As with Stage 1 and higher cancers, |
| treatment and possible reconstruction. There is | | | | further treatment will be decided based on the |
| close to a 100% rate of success in treating DCIS | | | | size of the area or tumor, the pathologic grade, |
| with the standard medical treatment. | | | | HER2 status, lymph node involvement and the |
| DCIS usually appears in two different forms, | | | | hormonal status. Family history and other related |
| which describe how the cancer looks on | | | | risk factors should also be taken into consideration |
| pathological examination under a microscope. The | | | | when deciding on treatment options. |
| comedo type will express dead cells out of it, | | | | While a diagnosis of DCIS can be frightening, it is |
| much like a pimple or zit on the skin, hence the | | | | certainly a very treatable condition. Fortunately by |
| name comedo. | | | | catching the cancer before it has broken out of |
| The non-comedo DCIS types are 1) solid where | | | | the ductal system and made its way into the |
| the DCIS cells fill in the milk duct all the way, 2) | | | | fatty breast tissue or lymph system, the chance |
| cribiform DCIS where the cells do NOT | | | | that the disease has spread is very very small. |