Ductal Carcinoma in Situ
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a very early form of breast cancer. It develops from cells of the ducts. Ducts carry milk to the nipple. DCIS has not spread beyond the ducts, so it is considered stage 0 breast cancer.
For some patients, DCIS will eventually spread beyond the duct and into nearby tissue. When this happens, it becomes an invasive breast cancer. Other people can have DCIS for years without it moving outside the ducts. There is no way to predict if DCIS will spread.
At one point, very few women were diagnosed with DCIS, but better screening practices and technology are catching more cases. DCIS today accounts for around 20% of breast cancer diagnoses.
Because DCIS is found at cancer’s earliest stage, it responds very well to treatment. The outlook for patients with DCIS is excellent, and the disease has a 10-year survival rate of more than 98%.
Molecular receptors and DCIS
Molecular receptors are molecules made by cells. These receptors sit inside the cells or on their surface. They can bond with, or recognize, specific proteins and hormones in the patient’s body. In cancer cells, some receptors fuel the cancer’s growth when they form a bond.
Women with DCIS may be tested for receptors for the hormones estrogen and progesterone. If these tests come back positive, the patient may be put on hormone therapy after DCIS treatment is complete. This therapy does not treat DCIS. Instead, it helps stop a new breast cancer from developing. Learn more about molecular receptors and breast cancer.
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS): 7 things to know
Why choose MD Anderson for your DCIS treatment?
Choosing the right hospital may be the biggest decision you make as a breast cancer patient. At MD Anderson you’ll get treatment from one of the nation’s top-ranked cancer centers. Our core mission is to eliminate cancer.
Surgeons, radiation oncologists and medical oncologists with the Nellie B. Connally Breast Center and the Cancer Prevention Center are focused exclusively on curing breast cancer, extending the life of breast cancer patients and maximizing their quality of life.
This allows them to develop a tremendous amount of experience and skill in treating breast cancer patients, including those with rare forms of the disease. Each doctor brings their skills to our multidisciplinary teams, where they work together to develop treatment plans that address each breast cancer case and patient.
This care is available beyond MD Anderson’s campus in the Texas Medical Center. At our Houston-area locations, patients throughout the region can get the same multidisciplinary care and personalized attention close to home.
And at MD Anderson you will also be surrounded by the strength of one of the nation's largest and most experienced cancer centers. From support groups to counseling to integrative medicine care, we have all the services needed to treat not just the disease, but the whole person.