DCIS & Mastectomy Treatments

When you're diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ, you're actually suffering from a fairly early stage of breast cancer. Often referred to as simply DCIS, this form of cancer is considered noninvasive because of its localized area of the lesions. And though the cancer hasn't spread beyond the ducts of the breast, treatment is frequently recommended to ensure that the abnormal cells do not progress into stage 1 breast cancer (as well as later stages of the disease).

Ductal Carcinoma in Situ

• Ductal carcinoma in situ is essentially stage 0 breast cancer. With this condition, the cancerous cells are only found along the lining of your milk ducts within the tissue of your breasts. Because these abnormal cells usually cause malignant lesions to form, and not the standard lump known in breast cancer, it's uncommon for a woman to notice their presence with a self exam, making yearly mammograms an important part of cancer prevention.

Partial Mastectomy

• If you're diagnosed with DCIS, one of your treatment options is an operation known as a partial mastectomy. In this "breast-conserving" surgical procedure, only the portion of your breast that contains the cancerous cells is removed, along with any healthy tissue that surrounds the malignant lesion. This is typically followed by a course of radiation therapy to ensure that all the cancerous tissue was removed during the operation.

Total Mastectomy

• If the cancer is more than likely to return or you have a family history of the disease, a better treatment option for DCIS may be a total mastectomy. With this more aggressive approach to care, the entire breast containing the cancer is removed along with some of your lymph nodes (to discern whether or not the cancer has spread). The lining of the chest wall and the chest wall muscles themselves are left intact.

Tamoxifen

• With both the partial mastectomy and total mastectomy, it may also be necessary to take a medicine known as tamoxifen as part of your treatment plan. What this medication serves to do is block the effects estrogen has on the breast, reducing the chances of cancer recurrence. It is considered a form of preventive care after the removal of the cancerous tissue linked to ductal carcinoma in situ.

Prognosis

• The prognosis of DCIS with mastectomy is fairly good, as there's only a 25 to 30 percent chance of recurrence within five to 10 years after treatment. However, if the mastectomy is followed up by radiation therapy, the chances of recurrence drop all the way down to 15 percent, so talk to your doctor about what treatment is best for you and your cancer.