Pure Ductal Carcinoma In Situ of the Breast: Analysis of 270 Consecutive Patients Treated in a 9-Year Period

Abstract

Introduction: Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is an intraductal neoplastic proliferation of epithelial cells that are confined within the basement membrane of the breast ductal system. This retrospective observational analysis aims at reviewing the issues of this histological type of cancer. Materials and methods: Patients treated for DCIS between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2018 were identified from a retrospective database. The patients were divided into two groups of 5 years each, the first group including patients treated from 2009 to 2013, and the second group including patients treated from 2014 to 2018. Once the database was completed, we performed a statistical analysis to see if there were significant differences among the 2 periods. Statistical analyses were performed using GraphPad Prism software for Windows, and the level of significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: 3586 female patients were treated for breast cancer over the 9-year study period (1469 patients from 2009 to 2013 and 2117 from 2014 to 2018), of which 270 (7.53%) had pure DCIS in the final pathology. The median age of diagnosis was 59-year-old (range 36–86). In the first period, 81 (5.5%) women out of 1469 had DCIS in the final pathology, in the second, 189 (8.9%) out of 2117 had DCIS in the final pathology with a statistically significant increase (p = 0.0001). From 2009 to 2013, only 38 (46.9%) were in stage 0 (correct DCIS diagnosis) while in the second period, 125 (66.1%) were included in this stage. The number of patients included in clinical stage 0 increased significantly (p = 0.004). In the first period, 48 (59.3%) specimen margins were at a greater or equal distance than 2 mm (negative margins), between 2014 and 2018; 137 (72.5%) had negative margins. Between 2014 and 2018 the number of DCIS patients with positive margins decreased significantly (p = 0.02) compared to the first period examined. The mastectomies number increased significantly (p = 0.008) between the 2 periods, while the sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) numbers had no differences (p = 0.29). For both periods analysed all the 253 patients who underwent the follow up are currently living and free of disease. We have conventionally excluded the 17 patients whose data were lost. Conclusion: The choice of the newest imaging techniques and the most suitable biopsy method allows a better pre-operative diagnosis of the DCIS. Surgical treatment must be targeted to the patient and a multidisciplinary approach discussed in the Breast Unit centres.

Surgical De-Escalation for Re-Excision in Patients with a Margin Less Than 2 mm and a Diagnosis of DCIS

“…Shaikh et al, in a recent analysis report, produced a similar result based on a more up-to-date sample of patients compared with a previous metaanalysis [7]. Such differences in the results could be justified by the implementation of digital and contrast enhancement mammography [23,24]. Technological advances have certainly increased the absolute number of DCIS diagnoses in the last decades, as well as of the indolent type [25].…”

An Unusual Large Size Ductal Carcinoma in Situ in a Patient on Lithium Therapy: A Case Report With Literature Review

“…Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) comprises about 20 to 25% of all breast malignancies having a propensity to transform into an invasive ductal carcinoma in approximately 13-50% of cases over a time of 10 years or more after initial diagnosis. 1 Numerous epidemiological studies have discovered that patients with mental illnesses like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder are more likely to suffer from malignancies of various sites (lung, prostate, colorectal). 2 Similarly, bipolar disorder confers an increased risk of breast malignancy in women when compared to general population.…”