Pre-malignant (Pre-cancerous) Breast Conditions
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), also called intraductal carcinoma, is a pre-cancerous breast condition that needs to be removed because while it may seem harmless now, it eventually can become an invasive cancer. Suppose you went to the hardware store and bought a new pipe and some corrosive chemicals. You put the corrosive in the pipe, and before the corrosive could work, you poured water into one end of the pipe. What happens? The water would simply flow out the other end! However, if left there over time, the corrosive would decay through the pipe. Then, if you tried to pour water through the pipe, the water could potentially leak through the holes caused by the decay of the corrosive. DCIS is like the corrosive that sits in the pipe and has not corroded it yet. It is a pre-cancerous condition that cannot spread. However, if left over time, it can corrode through the ducts, becoming an invasive cancer with the ability to spread . . . just like water leaking through the holes in the pipe.
Some women with DCIS have breast-conserving surgery followed by radiation therapy. Or they may choose to have a mastectomy, with or without breast reconstruction (plastic surgery) to rebuild the breast. Although DCIS cannot spread, sometimes the underarm lymph nodes are removed with a sentinel node biopsy. This is because in 2 percent of women with DCIS, the lymph nodes have cancer in them. This is because there is a very tiny spot of invasive cancer (where the pipe was corroded) that may be missed on pathology. Also, women with DCIS may want to talk with their physician about tamoxifen to reduce the risk of developing invasive breast cancer.
Atypical hyperplasia rarely causes lumps, pain or other symptoms. It is a benign (non-cancerous) condition in which there are an increased number of cells, and these cells look abnormal under a microscope. However, it may be very difficult to differentiate between DCIS and atypical hyperplasia, thus it is recommended that you have it removed.
Click the links on the left margin to review information regarding benign breast conditions and breast cancer.
