Many issues on the treatment of DCIS are currently under study. These include ways to predict which cases of DCIS will develop into invasive breast cancer. This would allow treatment to be targeted to those who are at higher risk of developing invasive cancer.
After discussing the benefits and risks with your health care provider, it is important to consider participating in clinical trials of new treatments for DCIS. For more information, visit the Clinical Trials section.
Hormone receptor status and DCIS
Hormone receptor testing of DCIS tumors is becoming more common as the benefits of tamoxifen are limited to hormone receptor-positive breast cancers. Although tamoxifen is the only hormone therapy used at this time for DCIS, the benefit of aromatase inhibitors is under study.
Lumpectomy with or without radiation therapy
For women with early breast cancer, radiation therapy is given after lumpectomy (also called breast conserving surgery). However, there are questions about the need for radiation therapy after lumpectomy for DCIS. A recent pooled analysis of data from four randomized controlled trials found that radiation therapy after lumpectomy for DCIS decreases the chance of recurrence of DCIS, and possibly invasive breast cancer [70].
Updated 08/25/09
