IDC Plus DCIS, how common?

etherize · May 2012

Just wondering how many out there have both, and what you've heard about it. I had a grade 3 IDC tumor of 2.3 cm and a 6mm DCIS, grade 2, same breast.

None of my doctors ever even mentioned the DCIS after it was removed. I guess they're in the "it's not cancer" camp.

In the swirl of dealing with the big dx, I didn't think to ask them how common it is to have both, or whether the DCIS would have likely become IDC, or if they're two totally separate things ... etc.

susan_02143 · May 2012

Me!

Discussions with my doctor indicated that the IDC trumps DCIS by a long shot. Treatments were based on the IDC. I have no idea if the DCIS might have become invasive. Didn't care enough to investigate that.

Anyhow, I don't think the fact that your doctors weren't talking about the DCIS means they don't consider it to be cancer. Instead, they were treating the invasive component which by definition was also treating the in situ.

Good luck!

*susan*

exbrnxgrl · May 2012

I had both in one breast but since the tx of the IDC trumped the DCIS, it kind of made the DCIS irrelevant. Caryn

Mardibra · May 2012

Me too! As others stated, IDC trumps the DCIS.

etherize · May 2012

Thanks ... I was just curious how they relate to each other. I should ask my MO next time I see him.

JoanQuilts · May 2012

Me three! They treat the "worser" of the two, which is the IDC.

schatzi14 · May 2012

Me four....same thing

etherize · May 2012

Yes, I understand the treatment, and the fact that the IDC is much more serious, and that the treatment was based on that.

I was just curious about the relationship of the two. If the DCIS would have become IDC, etc. Just trying to find out info about whether there's a correlation between them or not.

Mardibra · May 2012

For all I know, mine originally started as DCIS and became IDC. A mystery im sure I will never solve.

schatzi14 · May 2012

I just assumed that all the chemo and radiation would kill all the DCIS as well.

etherize · May 2012

OK, I found something on this site about it:

"If there is more than one tumor in the breast, the breast cancer is described as either multifocal or multicentric. In multifocal breast cancer, all of the tumors arise from the original tumor, and they are usually in the same section of the breast. If the cancer is multicentric, it means that all of the tumors formed separately, and they are often in different areas of the breast."

Here's the page:

http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/diagnosis/invasive.jsp

Also, I read that some DCIS turns into IDC and some doesn't ... Still would be interesting to know how common it is to have both.

Thanks for the replies!

Letlet · May 2012

DCIS is when the cancer is still IN the ducts (in-situ). When it moves out of the ducts /doesn't stay there anymore and starts "invading" surrounding tissues, it is called IDC and is more urgent.

My tumor on imaging was around 7cm, my core biopsy showed IDC and DCIS. However on my surgery it seems that out of that 7cm tumor, the invasive component/IDC was only 3.7 cm, I believe the rest was DCIS. The hospital that I go to only states the IDC part which I guess if you have IDC, worrying about the DCIS in there is moot.

peggy_j · May 2012

Me too.

The only way the DCIS played into my Tx at all is that I asked my RO if I could have MRIs for all future screenings and he said that mammograms do a better job of screening for DCIS. (so we're doing annually both, offset by 6 months)

Faith316 · May 2012

Me, too. I think it is pretty common.

Beesie · May 2012

About 90% of IDC starts as DCIS. When you have DCIS, it's doesn't all evolve to become IDC at the same time; one small area might start to evolve but the rest might remain as DCIS. So it's actually extremely common to have a mass of cancer that includes some IDC (which likely started as DCIS but then evolved to become IDC) and some DCIS (which hasn't yet changed to become IDC).

etherize · May 2012

Letlet, thanks for the explanation; I already knew the difference between the two (as well as the treatment for each) but I'm sure it'll be helpful to newbies reading this thread.

Like all of you, I never worried about my DCIS because the IDC was much more serious and I knew my treatment would affect the DCIS tumor as well. That's why I forgot to ask my doctors these other questions; I was focused on the IDC.

I was just wondering about it today ... it's interesting to me to learn about this stuff, how common it is to have both, whether one turns into the other, etc. etc. I think I'm turning into a junior scientist, one who has chemo brain.

etherize · May 2012

Beesie, I think we posted at the same time.

Thanks very much for that info. Cancer is fascinating, as much as it is devastating.

cp418 · May 2012

My tumor was 1.8 cm in size where 0.5 DCIS and remaining 1.3 cm IDC.

mamglam · May 2012

In my case, the DCIS was 1.8 cm (grade 3) and the IDC .2cm (grade 2). I was treated with a lumpectomy, radiation and Tamoxifen. Since my DCIS was larger and of higher grade, I think that my DCIS trumped the IDC.

Sassa · May 2012

I had multicentric cancer with most of the areas being DCIS. The one tumor where the IDC was found was 1.75 cm and was 90% DCIS. However, since the IDC portion was grade 3, ER/PR- and HER2+, I received the AC chemo and herceptin.

etherize · May 2012

I guess mine would be considered multifocal, since it was two separate tumors, but on the same side of the breast.

It's amazing how many different variations there are.

thenewme · May 2012

Hi etherize, I had DCIS plus IDC too. Here's an illustration I find helpful.

Range of DCIS

redsox · May 2012

IDC generally trumps DCIS but it all does need to be removed. If you have a large amount of DCIS, e.g. IDC with EIC (extensive intraductal component), the DCIS may push you into a mastectomy even though the IDC alone could have been treated with more limited surgery.

teeballmom · May 2012

Me, too. Both IDC and DCIS in my right breast. My IDC is 5 cm but I never asked nor can see on the report the size of my DCIS, but they are both out of here on May 29, 2012 (can't wait).

Sassa · May 2012

teeballmom.

It is such a feeling of relief when the tumors were gone. I had a mastectomy and I was glad that any pesky little DCIS cell was also gone as all my DCIS areas were far from the chest wall and excision site for the mastectomy.

I was lucky, it was two weeks for me from excisional biopsy to mastectomy so I didn't have long to wait.

aussie12 · May 2012

Hi all

I had a 50mm tumour which when they did the core biopsy showed DCIS. When I got the pathology back from my mastectomy I had 3mm of IDC in the middle of the tumour.

No-one knows how long that IDC would have taken to get bigger but I'm glad I got it all out when I did.

chef127 · May 2012

When I was first dx with IDC, 4.5cm and 1+ Bx'd node, the surgeon's, put me into panic mode. NeoChemo, Mx, more chemo, rads, and hormonal theropy. I prepared myself for all the suggested tx's, however I was very reluctant. I went with my gut feeling that the seriousness of the CA was over dx'ed. I found a sugeon who was willing to do a PMX. The final path was 4.5 DCIS w micro IDC and and NO +nodes???? 0/8. I can't get a straight answer from any of the drs about the nodes so they are ASSUMING I had 1+ node?? I'm having a dx mamo today and a thermo evaluation next week. I hope my gut feeling was right.

The DCIS was in my breast for many years and started to change at meno. Relativly, 4.5cm was small compared to my breast size, the drs said it made no differance, but logically I felt a PMX would sufice. Only time will tell. If the CA comes back I will have a MX. I know, why put myself through it twice, but I feel confident that I made the right decision.

GODISGOOD2012 · May 2012

I had both IDC and DCIS. The area of concern was less than 3cm and most of the cancer had been removed with the biopsy. I had huge dense masses on the sides of both of my breast that were of great concern. I opted to have BMX because in order to remove these masses there wouldn't have been much of me left on either side. I also chose this route as because of the IDC! That part still scares me even though my lymph nodes checked clean and all of the breast tissue is gone. Since my BMX in February, I have also had my ovaries removed and I am on Tamoxifen. A cysts was found on my ovary and since my cancer was 99% ER and 98%PR I had them removed to reduce future risks. Out of all of this, I think I have been most alarmed at the fact that those masses were present in my breast on my last mammogram and I received normal results, I even asked about them and was told it was not a concern. I really do not think our medical professionals are all educated properly as my friend received a similar comment just last week when she had her mammogram.

teeballmom · May 2012

Sandi, how soon after you BMX did you have your ovaries removed? My ER and PR are also in the 90%+ (can't remember exactly and too lazy to walk downstairs to get my path report) and my ONC mentioned that I could choose to have my ovaries removed also but she definitely wants me to enter menopause (I'm 46, no more babies and I've always had horrible cramps).

mt4ever · May 2012

I had both also and I am like most ladies the doctor was not that concerned about the DCIS. In fact I am not 100% positive the surgeon got clear enough margins on the DCIS (according to how I interpret the path report) but he will not say anything less than he got it all! I think/hope the chemo and radiation will kill anything that remains!

RoulaG · May 2012

Hello ladies, I am new to these boards but am confused with this specific topic. My path report says that the tumor removed was a total of 2.5 cm composed of both IDC and DCIS. I had to have a second surgery to obtain a clean margin as they found one DCIS cell too close to the clean margin .5mm too close. My question is how much of the tumor was IDC and how much was DCIS? Was the DCIS around the IDC? Any thoughts?

IDC Plus DCIS, how common?

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