What is ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)?

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is the name for abnormal changes in the cells in the milk ducts of the breast. 'In situ' means 'in place. DCIS is a non-invasive breast cancer. The abnormal cells are contained inside the milk ducts.

What’s the difference between DCIS and invasive breast cancer?

The abnormal cells seen in DCIS are cancer cells. However, DCIS is not breast cancer as we commonly understand it. In breast cancer, the cancer cells have spread out of the milk ducts into the surrounding breast tissue. That is why it’s sometimes called ‘invasive’ breast cancer. A woman cannot die from DCIS unless it develops into invasive breast cancer.

Illustration of a woman's breast, showing DCIS and invasive breast cancer

How common is DCIS?

About 1200 women are diagnosed with DCIS each year in Australia.

DCIS can be found in women at any age. However, most women are between 50 and 59 years old when their DCIS is found. DCIS can also develop in men although this is very rare.

What are the symptoms of DCIS?

DCIS cannot usually be felt as a breast lump or other breast change.

Most cases of DCIS are found following routine screening with mammograms. DCIS often appears as small flecks of calcium (called microcalcifications) on a mammogram orultrasound.

Most women with DCIS are not aware of any symptoms at the time of diagnosis.

Why is DCIS treated?

The aim of treating DCIS is to prevent invasive breast cancer from developing. If DCIS is not treated it may develop into invasive breast cancer, which can spread outside the ducts into the breast tissue and then possibly to other parts of the body.

We don’t know for certain how many women with DCIS would develop invasive breast cancer if they were not treated. Also, it’s not possible to predict which women with DCIS will develop invasive breast cancer if they are not treated or how long after a diagnosis of DCIS an invasive breast cancer might develop. Some women with DCIS may never develop any problems if they are not treated. However, some women with DCIS may develop invasive breast cancer.

Because DCIS may develop into invasive breast cancer and invasive breast cancer can spread and cause death, all women with DCIS are recommended to have treatment. Treatment for DCIS aims to help prevent invasive breast cancer from developing and DCIS from coming back in the breast.

DCIS can be treated successfully and most women diagnosed and treated for DCIS will not later develop invasive breast cancer.

Comments

Kate Jackson Breast Cancer a flash back

THE MOST MOMENTOUS CHANGE IN Kate Jackson's life began early one morning in January 1987, during her fourth season on the hit TV series Scarecrow and Mrs. King. After a phone call informed her that the show's taping was canceled because costar Bruce Boxleitner had the flu, Jackson went back to sleep. When she woke several hours later, "It was out of the blue, but perfectly clear," she recalls. "I sat up in bed and literally said, 'You have to have a mammogram.' " She did, and two days later a biopsy confirmed her vague fears: A minute growth found in her left breast was determined to be malignant. "I was forced to face, squared up, my own mortality," says Jackson. "I had to decide whether I wanted to live or to die. And if you choose life, as I did, it's never the same." For three TV seasons 16 years ago, she was famous as Sabrina Duncan, a girl-next-door gone glamorous and the character critics dubbed the brainiest o

The four stages of breast development

In Stage 1 shows the flat breasts of childhood. By Stage 2, breast buds are formed as milk ducts and fat tissue develop. In Stage 3, the breast become round and full, and the areola darkens. Stage 4 shows fully mature breasts. (Illustration by GGS Information Services.) period begins. Usually these signs are accompanied by the appearance of pubic hair and hair under the arms. Once ovulation and menstruation begin, the maturing of the breasts begins with the formation of secretory glands at the end of the milk ducts. The breasts and duct system continue to grow and mature with the development of many glands and lobules. The rate at which breasts grow varies significantly and is different for each young woman. Breast development occurs in five stages: Stage One: In preadolescence, the breasts are flat and only the tip of the nipple is raised. Stage Two: Buds appear, breast and nipple are raised, fat tissue begins to form and the areola (dark area of skin that surrounds

"Hard nipples" - areola or nipple skin

Someone once wrote"... when i get really cold, or get goosebumbs all over my body, the whole things really scrunch up, like, my entire areola scrunches itself up into a wrinkled little mound. it looks really weird and ugly, and i haven't ever seen other people's breasts do it. what is wrong with my areola/nipples??" The answer: Well nothing is wrong. This is what my areola does too. It's a normal reaction to the coldness or to irritation / stimulation. The little muscles in the areola do a similar goosebump thing as your other skin can do. People often call this phenomenon "hard nipples". Also note that skin on areola has less feeling or sensation to it than other areas of your body. If the areola was very sensitive, then breastfeeding would probably be quite uncomfortable because the baby pulls and tugs it! The nipples are sensitive but the sensitivity changes with hormonal changes, such as occur at mestrual cycle or pregnancy. Also this v

I am still a woman - Confessions of a twice cancer survivor - my journey by Nina Ann McCurley

Search This Blog