What is lobular carcinoma in situ?
Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) is technically not cancer, but it is a marker for the development of all types of invasive and non-invasive breast cancers. LCIS, though, is often thought of as a form of breast cancer. Lobular carcinoma in situ results in the presence of abnormal cells in the milk-producing glands of the breasts. These cells rarely spread outside of the lobules to other parts of the breast or body. Most women who are diagnosed with lobular carcinoma in situ have not yet gone through menopause. In one out of every two cases, multiple lobules within the breast are affected. About a third of the time, there are areas of lobular carcinoma in situ in both breasts. Even though lobular carcinoma in situ can’t spread, it is important to keep an eye on the condition. One in four women with this condition will develop a separate invasive breast cancer within the next 15 years. The majority of these later cancers begin in the milk ducts, rather than the lobules and both breasts m
