In fact, the majority of stage 0 breast cancers are found by accident, such as during a routine mammogram or screening. “Stage 0 breast cancer is not a reason to hit the panic button, but it is a diagnosis that is serious enough to warrant concern,” says Eugene Ahn, MD, Medical Oncologist at City of Hope Chicago.
Even though Stage 0 breast cancer is considered “non-invasive,” it does require treatment, typically surgery or radiation, or a combination of the two. Chemotherapy is usually not part of the treatment regimen for earlier stages of cancer.
More than 98 percent of patients who are diagnosed with stage 0 breast cancer survive at least five years after their original diagnosis. While a few patients will experience recurrences, the survival rates are still encouraging.
Surgery is the main treatment for DCIS. Most women are offered breast-conserving surgery. If there are several areas of DCIS in the breast, doctors may do a mastectomy to make sure that all of the cancer is removed.
It's important to note that the five-year survival rate for a patient diagnosed at stage 0 is 99 percent, according to the American Cancer Society.
Stage 0 breast cancers are often called pre-cancers, pre-invasive cancers or breast carcinoma in situ. With stage 0, abnormal cells in the breast have some cancer characteristics, but they have not yet spread into other tissues or organs.
Stage 0 breast cancer is noninvasive, meaning it has not spread beyond where it started to other parts of the breast or other organs. Stage 0 breast cancer does not usually cause other symptoms.
It's important to understand that radiation and hormone treatments do not change survival—the 10-year survival rate for women diagnosed with DCIS is 98% regardless of whether they receive either treatment. These treatments instead reduce the risk of breast cancer down the road.
DCIS also is referred to as stage 0 breast cancer. Women diagnosed with DCIS have very good prognoses. Ten years after DCIS diagnosis, 98% to 99% of women will be alive. Based on this good prognosis, DCIS usually is treated by lumpectomy followed by radiation therapy.
After treatment for stage 0 breast cancer, there's a small risk of recurrence or future development of invasive breast cancer.
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is the earliest stage of breast cancer, which is why it's sometimes referred to as stage 0 breast cancer. DCIS, by definition, is cancer that starts in the cells lining the milk ducts (carcinoma) and remains in the area where it originates (in situ).
Stage 0: Stage zero (0) describes disease that is only in the ducts of the breast tissue and has not spread to the surrounding tissue of the breast. It is also called non-invasive or in situ cancer (Tis, N0, M0). Stage IA: The tumor is small, invasive, and has not spread to the lymph nodes (T1, N0, M0).
stage 0 – the cancer is where it started (in situ) and hasn't spread. stage 1 – the cancer is small and hasn't spread anywhere else. stage 2 – the cancer has grown, but hasn't spread.
Will DCIS return or spread? Since DCIS is a noninvasive form of cancer, it does not spread throughout the body (metastasize). For patients having a lumpectomy with radiation, the risk of local recurrence ranges from 5% to 15%.
Many people survive for years or even decades after getting a breast cancer diagnosis and receiving treatment. Typically, the earlier a doctor diagnoses and treats the condition, the better a person's outlook. Regular follow-up appointments are important for monitoring a person's health after breast cancer treatment.
Summary: Elevated levels of anxiety may cause women with ductal carcinoma in situ, the most common form of non-invasive breast cancer, to overestimate their risk of recurrence or dying from breast cancer, suggests a new study.
Stage I means the cancer is small and only in one area. This is also called early-stage cancer. Stage II and III mean the cancer is larger and has grown into nearby tissues or lymph nodes. Stage IV means the cancer has spread to other parts of your body.
Radiation is typically used after lumpectomy. But it might not be necessary if you have only a small area of DCIS that is considered low grade and was completely removed during surgery.
Sometimes, a cancer diagnosis comes out of the blue, with no symptoms at all. But more often, there are various symptoms that may be warning signs of the disease.
It is possible for breast cancer to go into complete remission. The outlook tends to be better if a person receives treatment in the early stages of the disease. Advanced breast cancer may not be curable. However, treatment can improve symptoms and prolong a person's life.
What You Need to Know About Skipping Chemotherapy. Many women with hormone-positive, HER2-negative, lymph node-negative early-stage breast cancer who have intermediate risk of cancer recurrence do not need chemotherapy.
Which type of breast cancer surgery is best for my cancer? Most women with DCIS or breast cancer can choose to have breast-sparing surgery, usually followed by radiation therapy. Most women with DCIS or breast cancer can choose to have a mastectomy.
Clusters of abnormal cells like D.C.I.S. can sometimes disappear, stop growing or simply remain in place and never cause a problem. The suspicion is that the abnormal cells may be harmless and may not require treatment.