HIGH GRADE DCIS RECURRENCE

I am just curious . why a mammogram with DCIS... was the size large.... i had grade 3 comedonecrosis, .45 cm... - did lump and mammosite. and they took 2 nodes..

Generally the recurrence rate after a mastectomy for DCIS is 1% - 2%.  This is a low percentage and therefore it's a small risk.  But of course you have to consider that in the U.S. every year there are about 60,000 women diagnosed with DCIS and about 30% (18,000 women) have mastectomies.  1% of 18,000 is 180 women; 2% is 360 women.  So while a recurrence after a mastectomy for DCIS is low risk, there certainly are women who've had this experience, including some on this board.

If you have a recurrence after an initial diagnosis of DCIS, the recurrence hopefull will be found while the cancer cells are still DCIS, i.e. still non-invasive and unable to spread beyond the breast.  But it's also possible that the recurrence might not be found until the cancer cells have evolved to become invasive.  In that situation, the diagnosis changes from DCIS to IDC and at that point, mets is possible, as it is with any invasive cancer. 

Christy, when you say that the lump is on the "opposite side of my original DCIS" do you mean the opposite side of the same breast, or the opposite breast?  I'm guessing you mean the opposite breast?

Breast cancer doesn't move from one breast to the other.  Even invasive breast cancer.  So even if you had a tiny amount of invasive cancer that was missed by the pathologist last time, it wouldn't affect what's happening now in your opposite breast.  So no, there is no reason to send your original slides to M.D. Anderson for a 2nd opinion.

Hopefully this turns out to be nothing.  But if it turns out to be breast cancer and it is in your other breast, it's a new occurrence.  Even after a mastectomy there is a 1% - 2% chance that breast cancer can develop.  Although our surgeons try to remove all the breast tissue, there will always be a few scrapings of breast tissue left after a mastectomy and breast cancer can develop in that breast tissue.  If I've misinterpreted your comment and you are talking about a lump in your DCIS breast, then if it turns out to be breast cancer, it could either be a recurrence or it could be the development of a new breast cancer.  Both are possibilities.  If it's a recurrence this doesn't mean that some IDC was missed originally.  DCIS can recur after a mastectomy; when it's found, it might still be DCIS or it might have evolved to become IDC.

Wishing you the best with your PET scan.  And hoping that this turns out to be a false alarm.

Bump!

Sorry I can't answer that question, maybee someone else can.

Good luck to you and news as well

Peace

bump...hope someone can answer your question BunnyFallon. I don't have any answers for you but bumping might mean someone will see this. I suggest you start your own post so someone definitely sees this cause the original post is over 5 years old! Best to you!

So how are you doing. I have high grade dcis with the margins not clear. I had a double mastectomy and the doctors are discussing further treatment. Do you feel like the Rt got it all.