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Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute



"Confronting Cancer Through Art" is an exhibition by people whose lives have been touched by cancer.


This week we are featuring artwork by:
Jacqueline Kniewasser
Pontypool, Ontario


Visit the Children's Art Gallery

This week's artwork was donated by a pediatric cancer patient who received treatment for cancer at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Ductal Carcinoma in situ Of The Breast: Summary

   Authors: Margaret M. Barnes, M.D
   Affiliations: Department of Radiation Oncology,
   University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center
   Posting Date - March 7, 1997
Last Revision Date: Sunday, 14-Feb-1999 13:54:25 EST
Copyright © 1994-1999, The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania

  • Ductal carcinoma in situ is a form of pre-malignant breast cancer. With appropriate treatment, these tumors can be very effectively con-trolled, and will have a very low death rate due to cancer.

  • Because DCIS is not yet invasive, it does not have the ability to spread to the lymph nodes of the axilla and to the rest of the body.

  • If not treated, DCIS may progress to invasive breast cancer.

  • Comedocarcinoma is one subtype of DCIS. It tends to be more aggres-sive than the other forms of DCIS, but with effective treatment will also have a very high cure rate.

  • There are several treatment options for small, solitary tumors of DCIS-- lumpectomy alone, lumpectomy and radiation, or simple mastectomy.

  • For slightly larger lesions, and comedocarcinomas, without evidence of multifocal lesions, there are two options, lumpectomy and radiation therapy or simple mastectomy.

  • Very large lesions and extensive or multifocal lesions are best treated with simple mastectomy, and should not be considered for any form of breast sparing treatment.

  • Because DCIS does not spread to the axillary lymph nodes, there is no need to perform lymph node surgery as part of the treatment.

  • DCIS does not spread to the rest of the body, so chemotherapy and other drug treatment is not necessary for this disease.

  • Patients who have had DCIS treated sucessfully in one breast are at risk of developing cancer in their opposite breast, and require life-long follow-up care.

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