Does lumpectomy treat ductal carcinoma in situ?

Ductal carcinoma in situ, or DCIS, consists of abnormal cells inside a milk duct. It has not grown through the duct wall, but it can require treatment because its behaviour may change over time. A lumpectomy removes the affected area and a rim of surrounding tissue for examination.

The choice depends on the extent and location of DCIS, imaging findings, breast size, and whether the surgeon can obtain a clear margin. The laboratory report checks the removed tissue and may show whether more tissue is needed. Breast preservation is possible for many people, but it is not the right operation for every pattern of DCIS.

Ask what the imaging shows about the area to be removed and whether a localisation procedure will guide the surgeon. Discuss whether radiotherapy or hormone treatment may follow lumpectomy, and how those choices depend on the pathology. If a clear margin is not achieved, the team may discuss another excision or a different operation.

Take your biopsy and imaging questions to the breast clinic. Understanding the purpose of each treatment can make the plan easier to follow and helps you recognise which decisions are still open.

After surgery, report fever, increasing redness, new drainage, a rapidly enlarging swelling, worsening pain, or a wound that separates. Seek urgent help for heavy bleeding, severe breathing difficulty, or chest pain. Before treatment, arrange assessment for a new nipple change, bloody discharge, or a breast area that remains abnormal.

How extensive is my DCIS on imaging? Can lumpectomy remove it with a clear margin? Will I need a wire or marker to locate the area? Would radiotherapy or hormone treatment be advised afterward? What happens if the final margin is not clear? How will follow-up imaging be planned?