Radiation Therapy as Treatment for DCIS

Melvin J. Silverstein, MD, FACS, director, Breast Program Hoag Memorial Hospital, professor of surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, discusses treatment options for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).

Clinical Pearls:

• There are about 66,000 new cases of DCIS in the United States each year
• Until recently, the standard therapy has been mastectomy or breast conservation followed by whole breast radiation therapy
• Research has suggested that 40% of DCIS patients are candidates for excision alone
• Not all patients with low grade or unaggressive DCIS should be given radiation therapy