Do PLCIS and LCIS appear on imaging?

KMo1975

Just wondering if your PLCIS and LCIS showed up on imaging? And if so, what? Mammogram? Ultrasound? or MRI?

Thanks,

Kim

MelissaDallas

LCIS is almost always an incidental finding - it does not typically show on imaging. I had calcifications and sclerosing adenosis that showed on imaging. The ALH/LCIS were found along with it on biopsy.

Kerri_Oz

My LCIS was only found during a biopsy of an area of microcalcifications which was seen on my mammogram. The LCIS itself was not seen on mammogram, ultrasound or MRI.

Lea7777

No, not on imaging for me. Only on excisional biopsy, not even on needle biopsy.

light1candle

It was the same for me -- LCIS was found incidentally on an excisional biopsy. Apparently the radiologists had been following "something" they considered benign for several years, but it was some slightly pleomorphic calcifications that developed in the same area that triggered the first biopsy. Core biopsy found ALH & papilloma; excisional biopsy added LCIS, radial scar, and columnar cell changes.

leaf

My classic LCIS was found because I had microcalcifications.

As you can see, when they find ALH or LCIS, they often do surgical excision, in order to help rule out adjacent DCIS or invasive breast cancer. There may be some problems in excising the exact suspicious area that was seen in the mammogram, ultrasound, MRI or detected on palpation. (I'd have trouble too in finding an exact area in a bowl of Jello.)

Since at least sometimes they are able to remove the exact area that showed up under imaging, and yet sometimes still need to do a re-excision means that sometimes the LCIS/PLCIS/DCIS/invasive breast cancer area is NOT showing up in the imaging. Sometimes these LCIS/PLCIS/DCIS/invasive breast cancer areas are adjacent to, and not exactly at the imaging suspicious area. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25893410

So, imaging certainly does not RELIABLY detect LCIS/PLCIS. Imaging is not 100% reliable. But its the best we have right now.

lekker

After my OB/GYN found a lump in my right breast, I had a diagnostic mammogram (couldn’t see the tumor because of dense breast tissue) and ultrasound (could easily see the tumor). Needle biopsy identified invasive cancer. I had an MRI before lumpectomy which again clearly showed the tumor. Decided to have mastectomy and that pathology showed one tiny additional invasive tumor plus multiple areas of LCIS and PLCIS - none of which showed on imaging.