DCIS - Surgery Recommendations

[Cristy1019]

Hi,
I was recently diagnosed with DCIS, and have since spoken to DCIS survivors who have had different types of surgeries.  Which is recommended to avoid chemo?  Is there any way to avoid radiation? Thank you in advance.

[zouzi]

Hi.  According to the latest National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines, the recommended treatment for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is either mastectomy alone or lumpectomy plus radiation.  Radiotherapy is added to the lumpectomy because it decreases local recurrence rates by 50% compared to lumpectomy alone.  

Lumpectomy alone, without subsequent radiotherapy, may be an appropriate treatment if the DCIS is considered to have a "low risk" of recurrence. The risk of recurrence depends on certain factors such as size, tumor grade, age of patient and status of surgical margins.  "Low risk" refers to a tumor which is small, with low tumor grade, and negative surgical margin.Your surgeon will certainly advise you about  what kind of surgery you'll need and the treatments to follow,all depending on the tumor status.Best wishes.

[rk713]

I had DCIS 8 years ago.  The prodocal was a lumpectomy and radiation for 30 days. I radiation was not bad.   My cancer did come back in the same spot last June but this time it was ICD (invasive) but because I had yearly screening the tumor was small with no lymph node involvement.  But since I had radiation prior the only recommended treatment was masectomy.  I had a double with reconstruction and I am fine.  My girlfriend did not have the radiation and 6 months later at her follow up the found more DCIS so she needed futher lumpectomy and this time had the radiation. She is fine. It's been years.
Good Luck and what ever you decide will be the right choice for you.
Rosalie