A new study of women with early stage, localized breast cancer identifies new patterns and risk factors for invasive disease that may influence how these patients are treated.
Published in the journal Cancer, the study reported that patients with lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) are actually at higher risk of developing advanced stage tumors than previously thought.
In addition, women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) who are under 50 years old, African-American or Hispanic are at increased risk of developing advanced stage invasive tumors. This is startling news, considering that LCIS is not breast cancer per se, but a marker for predicting increased breast cancer risk in the future. DCIS, also referred to as noninvasive disease, is stage 0 breast cancer.
The diagnosis of DCIS and LCIS has been increasing up to sevenfold since 1980, according to U.S. statistics. The increase is thought to be due primarily to more screening mammograms and breast biopsies - in other words, to better early detection.
This doesn't mean that women with LCIS should take aggressive action and do prophylactic surgeries. It does mean that they need to be vigilant, making sure they are followed by breast health specialists, and that they should consider preventive therapies such as hormonal therapy to help protect against developing breast cancer.
source : health.yahoo.com
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