Can DCIS have lymph node involvement?

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Kkubsky
Kkubsky Member Posts: 231
edited May 2016 in DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ)

I thought that DCIS was not able to leave the ducts, therefore not able to metastasize to the lymph nodes. Isn't this why there is no SNB done unless one is having a mx? On another DCIS forum, I was told that it is in fact possible.... So should I now be concerned that there is a possibility of having mets/micromets in the lymph nodes? How could they get there?

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  • Annette47
    Annette47 Member Posts: 957
    edited May 2016

    DCIS itself by definition is contained within the ducts so cannot metastasize to the lymph nodes. It is however, possible that in the very early stages of turning into invasive cancer, a few cells could have broken off and migrated to the lymph nodes without leaving a large enough mass in the breast to detect mixed in with the DCIS. This would be called an “occult” invasive cancer where the original cancer cannot be found.

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  • Kkubsky
    Kkubsky Member Posts: 231
    edited May 2016

    So that would not be found unless you had a SNB or other node biopsy, which are not routinely done for DCIS? Kind of scary... DCIS one day....metastatic another....

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  • Annette47
    Annette47 Member Posts: 957
    edited May 2016

    Scary but incredibly, incredibly rare. Risks are relative ... the risk of that is VERY low; the risk of lymphedema due to unnecessary SNB is not quite as low.

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