still thinking about DCIS

This graph (Lancet 1999) compares recurrence rates for DCIS after partial masectomy.

This is really big business. Some treatment creep is occurring. The standard of care is now moving towards breast conserving surgery plus radation plus anti-estrogen therapy. The breast cancer message boards are full of women who have opted for all of that (or bilateral masectomy) for small, low grade DCIS. Any risk, any effort to avoid a recurrence. Of course as treatment gets more elaborate and painful and dangerous, the motivation to not do it again gets stronger!

Would research on DCIS divert attention from breast cancer that actually kills women? But its not like there is someone who actually makes decisions about health care resources...