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| Ductal Carcinoma In Situ | ||
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Definition of terms:
Benign - Not cancerous; no threat to the body
Carcinoma - Cancer cells that start in surface layers or lining of the ducts
Malignant - Cancerous; threat to the body
Mastectomy - Removal of a breast by surgery
Metastasis - Spread of cancer to other parts of the body
Microcalcifications - Microscopic, dense areas of tissue seen on mammography, may be related to a
malignant or benign condition
In situ - In one contained area
Lumpectomy - Removal of a lump and some surrounding tissues in the breast
Lymph nodes - Pea-like areas in the lymphatic system that act as filters of the body's
cellular waste; lymph nodes under the arms filter waste from breast tissues
Radiation Therapy - Treatment with x-rays to kill cancer cells
• Ductal carcinoma in situ is defined by some experts as a pre-malignant disease.
This condition may have a potential for continuing to proliferate (grow) into
an invasive (grows through the duct walls) cancer. Excessive overgrowth of
abnormal cells has filled the ducts in which the disease is located. Some
authorities refer to the condition as "non-invasive cancer" and others as
"pre-cancer."
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• Most ductal carcinomas in situ are found by mammography when
microcalcifications are observed in a clustered pattern. Usually, five or more
calcifications in a very close area will be cause for the radiologist to study
carefully the shape of the calcifications. If the shapes are suspicious, a
biopsy, using needle localization or stereotactic technique, will be used to
locate the findings and a biopsy will be performed. Sometimes a thickening or a
soft mass will be found in the area of the breast. Occasionally, a nipple
discharge will be a symptom of ductal carcinoma in situ.
• When a biopsy of the area confirms ductal carcinoma in situ, you have a
pre-cancer that has potential to spread and threaten your life. Very rarely has
carcinoma in situ been found to have metastasized to the lymph nodes under the
arms. Your physician will offer you several treatment options for carcinoma in
situ, including: mastectomy, which offers a nearly 100% cure rate, lumpectomy
with radiation therapy, lumpectomy without radiation therapy, or continued
observation. A careful look at the extent of the disease, your age, family
history and other factors will be considered in selecting the treatments
appropriate for you.
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