What happens if mammography leads to the detection of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)?
Over the past 30 years, improvements in mammography have made it possible to detect a higher number of tissue abnormalities called DCIS. DCIS is abnormal cells that are confined to the milk ducts of the breast. The cells have not invaded the surrounding breast tissue. DCIS usually does not cause a lump, so it cannot be detected during a clinical breast exam or BSE. However, mammography is able to detect 80 percent of DCIS cases. Some of these cases later become invasive cancers. It is not possible to predict which cases of DCIS will progress to invasive cancer. Therefore, DCIS usually is removed surgically. Until recently, DCIS was often treated with a mastectomy, but breast-conserving therapy (breast-sparing surgery plus radiation therapy) is now standard practice for many women with DCIS. Tamoxifen may also be used. Women who have been diagnosed with DCIS should talk with their doctor to make an informed decision about treatment.
Related Questions
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- What happens if mammography leads to the detection of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)?
- What happens if a mammogram leads to the detection of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)?