DCIS: should we stop calling it "breast cancer"?
Renewed calls to minimise the overdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment of breast abnormalities
The debate over how to manage ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) has gained momentum following a recent study suggesting that surgery might not be necessary for women diagnosed with the condition.
Often described as "stage zero breast cancer" or "a very early form of breast cancer," DCIS is not actually cancer but rather a cluster of abnormal cells contained within the milk ducts.
Despite its non-cancerous status, the use of terms like “carcinoma” or “cancer” can cause considerable anxiety, prompting many women to choose aggressive treatments such as surgery and radiation—interventions that may not offer any clear benefit to their outcomes.
Last month, a new randomised trial, published in JAMA once again, challenged the necessity of surgery for DCIS.