LCIS is not cancer. It is a precancerous condition. DCIS Ductal carcinoma in situ is visible on a mammogram as tiny specks of calcium, although it is generally too small to feel. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish between DCIS and atypical hyperplasia, benign breast condition consisting of more breast cells than is normal, some with atypical features. A second-opinion review of the biopsy may be appropriate.
Accurate diagnosis is important because of the significant difference in treatment options.
The treatment options for LCIS extend from mild to aggressive and this broad range is the source of controversy. Almost half of them decided to have a mastectomy. More than half had a lumpectomy, most often followed by radiation therapy. These days, more women are choosing lumpectomy with radiation therapy. There is disagreement among breast cancer experts about whether mastectomy is appropriate treatment for DCIS that is localized to one area of the breast and that could be removed by a lumpectomy.