NIH holds state-of-the-science conference on DCIS

A woman who receives a diagnosis of DCIS - or ductal carcinoma in situ - may face one of the most complex and confusing set of choices in all of health care. And, according to the NIH, in 2005 there were a half million such women living with DCIS in the US.

Today a three-day NIH State-of-the-Science Conference on Diagnosis and Management of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) concludes in Bethesda, Maryland. Some info is available online.

According to the NIH:

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a condition in which abnormal cells are found in the lining of a breast duct. As "in situ" means "in place," this means the abnormal cells have not spread outside the duct to other tissues in the breast. Also referred to as intraductal carcinoma and stage zero breast cancer, DCIS is the most common noninvasive tumor of the breast.

Although the natural course of the disease is not well understood, DCIS can become invasive cancer and spread to other tissues. It is also a marker of increased risk for developing cancer elsewhere in the same or opposite breast. However, not all DCIS will progress to invasive disease, and it is thought that DCIS can be present in some individuals without causing problems over a long period of time. Recent research suggests that DCIS is a spectrum of disease and that certain tumor characteristics may be strong or weak risk factors for subsequent invasive breast cancer. Unfortunately, it is currently not clear which lesion types are more likely to become invasive, leading to difficult treatment decisions for patients and providers.