LCIS

Mandyjp

Hello,

I was diagnosed with DCIS three days before Christmas.

I had two operations, the first did not have clear margins, the second did but also showed another change.

I was told they had also found a LCIS, the consultant told me it was not a cancer as such and made me feel it was nothing to worry about.

However, I was still worried what it actually means.

Can anyone help me please.

Thank you x

Moderators

Bumping for anyone who may have some insight for Mandy?

Hoping this helps, Mandy!

--The Mods

MelissaDallas

I think she should try posting in one of the DCIS threads so someone actually diagnosed with cancer who had a similar "alphabet soup" can chip in. LCIS-only people aren't really qualified to answer her question.

Momof6littles

LCIS is tricky. It's the cancer that's not really cancer. The cells in the lesion are indistinguishable from invasive lobular cancer. To see if it is invasive, the pathologist needs to determine if it has broken through the basement membrane. About 20-30% of women with an LCIS diagnosis will go on to develop an invasive breast cancer. 50% of those cancers are ductile, 50% are lobular. It is considered a nonobligate precursor lesion. It CAN develop into invasive cancer, but it likely will not. Since you already have DCIS, which is a KNOWN precursor lesion (if left untreated, 80% of these DCIS lesions become invasive), that is their concern.

They really have no way to know who will develop invasive lobular cancer from LCIS. Women with a family history of breast cancer seem to be at a greater risk for lobular if diagnosed with LCIS. And they don't yet have a genetic tumor marker that clues them in to which of these lesions will become invasive. The importance of that is that right now, there isn't much consensus as to what to do with a pure LCIS diagnosis. Overtreat - undertreat...what do you do.

But in your case, their concern is the DCIS. I would assume that they are planning to remove the LCIS to confirm noninvasive. And so you know, a recent paper that compared treatment for DCIS and LCIS found that when treated the same (lumpectomy and radiation) the outcomes were pretty much the same. So treatment for DCIS will cover you for the LCIS.

I hope this helps. Best wishes for you as you navigate the road ahead.

MelissaDallas

momof6, since they found the LCIS in the margins in her DCIS lumpectomy they will not reexcise for that-they have already told her that. The only reason for excising it is to make sure there is no invasive cancer associated & that has already been confirmed.

InStitches

Mandy, I am in a similar situation. I had a lumpectomy in my left breast last May that included both DCIS and LCIS. The surgeon got clean margins for both in the lumpectomy so no further surgery was necessary. I followed that with 6 weeks of radiation and am now on Tamoxifen. Will you be having radiation? What about hormone therapy?

I will tell you my concern about the LCIS is actually greater than the DCIS because of the possibility of more being in either breast and that women with LCIS are more likely than women with only DCIS to later face an invasive lobular carcinoma. The problem with lobular is that it is so hard to find in imaging. Has your Dr ordered an MRI? I have had two in the last year with no findings.

Peace and healing,

Nancy